Flip Side
by CuriousDreamWeaver
Summary: When two worlds collide, having two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters can only mean trouble. But the reason for barriers between worlds becomes painfully apparent when magic meets magic, and familial duty wars with desire. Slash HPDM, RWHG, BZMB, RLSS.
1. And so it begins

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**E-mail:**

**Summary:** Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are one of a kind. Maybe. Alternate worlds are meant to stay separate but not everything turns out the way they're supposed to. How much trouble can two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters get into? Especially when someone decides to up the ante and make things a whole lot worse for them all. Slash, het. HP/DM, HP/DM, RW/HG and more.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though).

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it.

Blah.thoughts

_Blah._ Writing

"Blah." Talking.

--------------------- Denotes a change of scene

Big spaces between paragraphs show a change of perspective.

_Blah._

The above is an example of a flash back.

---------------------

**Flip Side**

**Chapter One: And So It Begins (revised)**

Harry almost groaned out loud when Snape started to hand out the assignments they had handed in a few days ago.

"Bloody Hell." Ron muttered as he waited for his, his eyes following Snape moving across their row with trepidation.

"All of you could learn from Mr. Malfoy. He, as always, received the top mark in class. Ten points to Slytherin." Harry sent Draco a resentful look at the triumphant smirk on the silvery haired boy's face. He must have caught Draco's eye because the boy turned slightly to sneer at him, his soft lips twisting in a way that drew Harry's eyes unconsciously.

Who would have thought that something so pretty could twist in such a hateful way, Harry thought to himself as he contemplated Draco's lips.

"Potter!"

He jumped and barely refrained from letting out an undignified squeak when Snape slapped his parchment down on his desk. "Professor." Harry replied, congratulating himself when his voice came out clear and unshaken.

"It seems you have better things to do than to pay attention in class. Which is probably why you received the mark you did. Five points from Gryffindor for not paying attention." Snape stalked off to the next desk and Harry tuned out his commentary as he grimaced at his mark. Another fifty-two. How in the world had he managed to do so badly? He looked at the red ink that covered most of his parchment and sighed. Well, that explained a lot. He sighed and rolled it up before stuffing it into his bag and slumping in his sat.

"Blimey Harry, I got another fail!" Ron moaned from next to him and Harry gave him a sympathetic glance.

"I almost did too. What did Mione get?"

Ron leant over and then sighed. "Another ninety-five."

"Figures."

"I did tell you two to put more effort into this assignment." Mione's matter-of-factly voice replied. Ron made a face and shoved his parchment out of his sight.

"What does it matter? He'd fail us given any kind of excuse." Harry muttered as he desperately waited for class to end. It was the class before lunch and he was starving.

"Yeah, he's right Mione. What's the point in trying?" Ron agreed with Harry and started to doodle on his parchment, drawing various pictures of Snape in dresses, snickering the entire time.

"Don't you two have any pride?" She asked with a huff.

"No." They both chorused and then chuckled.

Hermione rolled her eyes at them. "Well then it's no wonder you two are failing."

"Awƒ Mione." Ron whined as he lay his head down on his desk. His girlfriend just rolled her eyes at him and turned back to reading over the comments that Snape had given her.

"Well, the majority of you did abysmally as expected. However, there are a handful of you that received decent marks. Perhaps you should take a page out of their books so to speak and try to improve your marks." Harry waited, blocking out Snape's rant in favour of slowly counting down the time in his head for the bell. He didn't have that long to wait as the bell chimed a few moments later, stopping Snape in mid rant as the class quickly filed out of the room. Harry picked up his stuff and escaped quickly with Ron and Hermione but a slow, familiar drawl reached them as they walked along the hall.

"Failed again Scarhead?" Harry groaned inwardly and turned.

"What do you want Malfoy?" He asked politely.

Draco seemed taken aback by the civility of his reply and sneered to cover it. "You should take some tutoring from that mudblood friend of yours."

"Take that back!" Ron yelled as he defended his girlfriend, ignoring her concerned glance as she tried to drag her friends away.

"Make me." Malfoy sneered, happy to be back in familiar territory. He smirked as Ron's face started going red at the challenge and stepped forward towards him with his hands clenched tightly into fists.

"Watch yourself Malfoy, your _Daddy_ won't be able to save you now."

Draco went white at the mention of his father, the Malfoy Patriarch having been arrested and sent to Azkaban for his connection to the Death Eaters. Harry thought he saw a flicker of something, grief perhaps, in those cool grey eyes before anger made them glitter. "What was that Weasel?" His voice had dropped several degrees and Harry could almost see the ice forming around him. Or was that his imagination?

"Ron, come on, let's go to lunch." Hermione said softly.

"Yes, listen to your mudblood girlfriend." Draco sneered as he straightened his posture and schooled his features into a distasteful expression. Ron snarled and launched himself at the smaller blonde before Harry could stop him.

Unbeknownst to them, something similar was happening in another place. Something that was going to change everything.

----------------------

"Miss Malfoy, perfect as always." Harry looked over to see the silvery blonde girl, Dee, smile in satisfaction as she looked over her paper. He sighed and looked up when Severus stopped in front of his desk, his elegant face pinched with annoyance.

"Well Mr. Potter, it seems that Miss Malfoy's tutoring has greatly helped to improve your marks." Severus moved off with a sneer to Ron's desk and Harry heard him give Ron the same comment, though it was Hermione instead of Dee. He vaguely heard Severus compliment Hermione on a job well done in regards to her own paper, which made the shorthaired brunette smile at her professor.

"Dee, thank you so much." Harry said reverently as he leant over to kiss his girlfriend's cheek. His emerald green eyes sparkled at her from behind his shaggy bangs and he held a hand over his chest. "I don't think I could have done it without you!

She gave him a cool smirk tinged with affection as she wagged a finger at him. "All it took was a little... incentive, mon amour1." The soft rolling of her ïr's gave the tell tale sign of her French heritage as she spoke. While she had grown up speaking French at home, she tried not to speak the language in front of people who couldn't speak it, her mother having ingrained it into her that it was rude. Of course, true to the Malfoy name, she used it to her best advantage in other circumstances.

She gave Harry a sultry smile and winked making Harry grin goofily as he thought about what her incentive had been. "You're not as dumb as you think you are. Just do try a little harder in class and you'll do so much better on your own.

"But it's much better getting tutored by you." Harry replied with a leer as he leant closer to her.

"Mr. Potter! This is not time for idle chitchat! Pay attention!" Harry almost fell out of his chair when Severus slapped a hand down on his desk.

Dee gave her uncle an innocent smile. "Professor, Harry and I were just discussing what part of my tutoring he thought made him do better his time.

"I'm sure you were." Severus was fully aware of Dee and Harry's relationship and couldn't help but imagine, to his horror, just what Dee could be implying. He scowled darkly at Harry, making the tall teen shrink slightly at his forbidding look, before stalking to the front of the room. "As you can all tell, your papers were marked to the same standard that I would have marked your final papers. I am sure some of you are disappointed," his dark eyes flashed around the room, "but I am sure that many of you are quite happy with the marks you have received. I will be holding a revision lesson on Saturday after lunch if anyone is interested.

"Professor?" Hermione raised her hand and Severus nodded.

"Yes Miss Granger?

"How far will you be revising?

"Good question Miss Granger. I have decided that I will be revising the last two papers you handed in. It will cover the Mandrake Restorative Draft through to the Wit-Sharpening Potion, which I might add, we did in Fourth Year so you have no excuse as to getting anything in that potion wrong." Severus said as he looked around at his Sixth Year class with a scowl. "And it might be a good idea for some of you to take it!

"Yes sir." They all intoned, several of them looking quite worried and cringing at his abrasive words.

"That's all then. Go over your papers so that any mistakes you made can be corrected in your minds so that you know not to make those mistakes again." The bell chimed and the students began to file out.

"Dee, I need you to stay behind." Severus sat down at his large ebony desk and steepled his hands in front of him.

Dee nodded and packed up her things quickly. She saw the rest of the Court, consisting of Harry, Hermione, Ron, Blaise, Pansy, Vince and Greg, waiting at the door and shook her head. "I'll see you in the Great Hall." They paused, and she made shooing motions with her hands. They left but Harry sent her a reluctant look before he let Hermione lead him away.

"Loyal as ever." Severus drawled as he watched from his desk.

Dee smirked and walked over to him, sitting on the edge of his desk. "So what was urgent enough for you to delay me for lunch, mon oncle2?" She asked, crossing her left leg over her right. She drew her left index finger over his desk, trails of ice following after it.

"Dee, stop that." The seriousness in his voice made her look at him, her silvery eyes focusing on his deep brown. "This is important." He stressed the words and she sat up straighter, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Your father sent me an owl this morning with a letter for you. It came while you were in Herbology this morning and it is essential that you read it." He gave her a white envelope that was sealed with blood red wax, the crest of the Malfoy family stamped firmly into it. She gingerly took it from him, her eyes questioning as she noted the tense look to his normally cool features. She broke the wax carefully and unfolded the letter with long, elegant fingers.

Draco

She gave a fond smile at the usage of her real name, her father being the only one to use it. It was a boy's name that her mother detested as she considered it far too masculine for her delicate and elfin daughter. She was going to name her Hypatia but at the time of her birth, Lucius had gotten himself stinking drunk in an effort to prevent him from becoming a blubbering wreck at the sound of Narcissa's agonised screams. Her mother had passed out soon after her birth and the woman who had been overseeing the birth had been foolish enough to call him in. Lucius, being in the drunken state that had been in, had mistaken her for the boy he had been longing for and blurted out ïDraco' when asked for a name. It had been written down on her birth certificate the second that Narcissa had awoken, to her horror. She quickly added Narcissa Hypatia Lucretia Amelia. She thought that perhaps the abundance of female names would outweigh the dreadful male name that Lucius had given their daughter. They had come to a compromise, after Narcissa had thrown everything there was to be thrown at him and decided to call her Dee for short.

But that's neither here nor there and Dee read on.

_As you well know, I am the Minister of Magic._

Dee rolled her eyes at her father's sense of melodrama. Yes, she knew full well how he was the Minister of Magic.

As such, I have many enemies. It has come to my attention that there has been incidences in which a group of anti-muggle born activists have begun to make their opinions publicly known. They are the same group that terrorised the Magical World during my schooling days and around the time of your birth and a few years after. You know what they are and what they represent.

Dee frowned and rubbed at the small scar on her forehead unconsciously, the silver lightning bolt scar hidden by her long bangs.

Due to this, your safety is my utmost concern. As such, I am no longer allowing you to leave the school grounds on trips to Hogsmeade, with or without accompaniment.

"What?" Dee cried, sliding off Severus' desk and looking at him incredulously, not even bothering to finish off her father's letter as she crumpled it in her hand. "Ce n'est pas juste!3 What does he mean by forbidding me to leave the school grounds?

"He is only concerned about your safety. He doesn't want a repeat of what happened when you were a child." Severus said gently, choosing his words carefully. Like her father, Dee reverted into French whenever something upset her. To say something wrong would send her into one of her rebellious moods, which would no doubt result in her putting herself in danger just to defy them. He was rewarded when her eyes softened slightly, the ice thawing from the silver depths. He felt the air stop tingling with power and breathed out. All he had to do was to make sure that his next words were enough to make her take heed of her father. "It'll only be for a little while. Besides, there aren't any trips for Hogsmeade scheduled for the next three weeks.

Dee bristled visibly, her large eyes narrowing into slits and Severus winced. That had obviously not been the right thing to say.

"That's beside the point Uncle. I will not be confined to the school grounds like an unruly child!"

"It's only a temporary situation Dee. Please, don't do anything rash. It's only because we love you so. Don't make things harder for your father. He's trying his best to track down the Death Eaters as soon as possible. It would destroy him if anything were to happen to you." He gave her an earnest look that touched at her softer side and she turned her face away, her full lips moving into a pout that he recognised well as it indicated that she would acquiesce to their demands, albeit reluctantly.

"Fine. I agree to do as Daddy says. I promise won't leave the school grounds and I'll be extra careful."

Severus nodded, knowing that she never broke a promise.

"Vous et mon pere sont horribles4." She muttered.

"Thank you Dee. You may go to lunch now."

Dee rolled her eyes and huffed, refusing to acknowledge him as she sulked, and swept out of the room, her long black robes swirling around her.

Severus sighed softly in both thanks and annoyance at himself. He hated having to resort to emotional blackmail with Dee because he loved her dearly. He had been one of the many, many people who had spoiled her rotten all her life and he could never stand her being upset at him, in fact, he was already thinking of ways to get back into her good graces. He sighed at her departure but didn't think too much of it, his niece being prone to being just as melodramatic as her father. He watched as she walked out of the room, pointedly looking away from him and shook his head. At least she had agreed not to do anything until her father decided it was safe for her. For his brother's sake, he hoped that Lucius would be able to solve the problem as quickly as possible. A sulking Dee was never a good thing.

Mon dieu!5 Who does he think he is? Confining me like a child. As if I don't know how to defend myself. What kind of moron would attack a school full of Mages? Honestly, they must be pretty stupid.

She paused as the sound of raised voice drifted to her and she turned the corner and stepped into the large courtyard to see Ron yelling at Mcnair, the dark haired boy sneering at the redhead. Harry was standing next to his friend with an angry expression, while Pansy was comforting Hermione who looked calm, but the hurt in her chocolate brown eyes was evident to those who knew what to look for. Blaise, Vince and Greg were sneering at the other four boys behind Mcnair and seemed to be doing a good job of intimidating them.

"Did I hurt your mudblood's feelings?"

Dee stopped short, her eyes widening at the insult and then narrowing into mere slits of silver as she stalked forward, the grass at her feet turning into spikes of ice as her temper surfaced. The air suddenly fogged around the group, their breaths coming in short puffs of mist. The five boys facing off against the Court paused and turned towards her, their faces filled with something akin to fear. They triedto move but when they couldn't, they paled further. Their feet had been encased in ice from the ankles down, her magic having moved quickly and without their notice. She let a slow smile curve her full lips, the predatory glint in her eyes making them look away uneasily.

"Je suis desolee6. I didn't hear what you said. Could you please repeat that Mcnair?" The soft purr in her cold aristocratic voice made the older boy shiver in both nervousness and desire. He couldn't help but want her despite his fear. Narcissca Malfoy was well known for her beauty and had passed her gorgeous facial features and figure on to her daughter while from Lucius, Dee had inherited the trademark Malfoy silver hair and eyes, her creamy white skin a characteristic she shared with both parents.

"Watch yourself Mcnair." Harry's voice hissed as he glared at the way Mcnair was blatantly sliding his gaze up and down his girlfriend.

"Make me." The other brunette sneered while he kept his eyes on Dee's approaching form.

"That wasn't very nice Mcnair." Dee murmured as she stopped next to her boyfriend after giving Hermione a soft look.

"I can't believe you hang around with these twits Malfoy. You're a pureblood, you should be with those who could make you great."

"Really... that's quite fascinating coming from you. You're a rather pathetic excuse for a pureblood. Even though they may not be as ïpure'", Dee drawled insultingly at the last word and Mcnair flushed slightly at the insult to his ancestors, "they are far superior to you in both power and intellect." She said smoothly and watched as an angry flush rose up along his cheeks.

"You're such a hypocritical bitch." He snapped.

"You-" Harry stepped forward, sparks of red lancing up and down his arms.

Dee coolly held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks. "If you're going to insult me Mcnair, do try to be a little more original. I don't have time for childish cretins such as yourself." She paused and narrowed her eyes again. "And I do believe you owe my friend an apology."

"I will not apologise to that filth." Mcnair spat.

Dee's face went blank, her hands curling into fists. "Cela n'etait pas tres gentil7." Her voice was a whisper and Mcnair instantly knew he had stepped over the line.

He panicked and pointed at her. "_Terra labefacto_8!"

Dee frowned and threw up a protective shield as his spell slammed into the ground causing the entire courtyard to shudder.

"_Ignis erumpo_9!" Harry yelled angrily as he watched the ground slam up against Dee's shield. A brilliant burst of fire exploded from his outstretched hand and screamed towards Mcnair. Ron's own fireball followed after Harry's and the redhead let out a whoop of satisfaction when it caught the edge of one of the other boy's robes.

Mcnair ducked behind a wide column of rock that he had hastily summoned and cursed Harry loudly.

"_Terra conntremisco_10!" Greg and Vince's voices grunted as they sent their own Earth spell towards Mcnair's group. Hermione and Pansy had stepped back towards the safety of the awnings and looked on cautiously. They were powerful Air and Verdant Mages, respectively, but they weren't as good as the others in combat and would probably only hinder them.

Blaise sneered and pointed at the ground. "Shadow Fall." Dark shapes bled out from the ground around the other boys and started surround them making them cry out in fear before one of them managed to cast a Fire spell that sent the shadows shrinking away, but not before they had sufficiently terrified the Hell out of them.

"_Ignis rota_11!" A huge wheel of fire barrelled across the courtyard and hit Harry's second fireball and Dee narrowed her eyes at the resulting explosion. Damn it, the teachers would have heard that by now and she didn't want to have to have another chat with her Uncle right now.

"_Glacialis umbra_12" She murmured and watched in satisfaction as ice formed in all the shadows around them, effectively trapping the five boys in a small alcove of glittering ice facing off against six very powerful mages. It was very convenient that they had stayed in a tight group; most of her spells were short ranged and had a small area of affect.

"You wouldn't be so cocky if you didn't have your little followers." Mcnair spat resentfully as he watched his way avenue of escape freeze over.

"Do you really think so?

"You think you're so great. The Girl Who Lived."

Dee smirked and shook her head. "No, I'm great not because I'm the Girl Who Lived. It's not because I'm the Heir to the Malfoy Family. It's not because I'm the Heir of Slytherin. It's not because I am the most powerful Water Mage of my generation that I'm better than you." She was moving forward as she spoke, until she was right in front of Mcnair, her flashing eyes looking up at him coldly. "I'm just better than you, we're all better than you, because we don't abuse our power over other people to ruthlessly and shamelessly exploit them. We're better than you because we give respect to where its due and we do not belittle others for the sake of sadistic glee." She stepped back as she heard the sound of footsteps slapping down the stone floors of the hallways around them. She turned away and walked towards Harry who was glaring at Mcnair over her shoulder.

"We could have been great together Dee."

Dee turned around with a frown at Mcnair. He had never called her by her first name before. "And why do you think that Mcnair?

"You have so much power, passion. You would have made an incredible Dark Mage. It's too bad that you won't have the chance." Mcnair shook his head and sighed deeply. Harry reached out and caught Dee's elbow just as Mcnair threw something at her. She caught it out of reflex. She belatedly registered the strange magical signature around the object before her slender fingers closed around it. Her back arched as the sudden onslaught of mind tearing pain spiked through her. She felt Harry's large hands move to grasp her upper arms and his cry of alarm just before she felt a tug at her navel and passed out.

"What" Blaise and Ron asked in horror, as they looked at the spot their two friends had been, a smoking black circle of energy the only thing left. Greg and Vince had immediately stepped forward in an attempt to help their friends but hadn't reached them in time. Hermione and Pansy had let out shrill screams when they had seen Dee arch her back impossibly as black lightning danced over her.

"What is going on here?" Severus thundered as he reached the courtyard, his robed billowing around him. He took in the charred circles from the Fire Mages, the upturned dirt from the Earth Mages and the glittering ice that was obviously the work of Dee. He felt his heart squeeze as he realised Dee was not amongst the group, or Harry for that matter. "Where's Dee? And Harry?" He barked.

Pansy pointed at Mcnair. "He threw something at her and she caught it! Then all this black lightning started shooting out from it and then she and Harry disappeared!"

"Mcnair said something about her not having the chance to be a Dark Mage! Oh Professor, what happened?" Hermione cried and she and Pansy both looked like they were on the verge of tears as they recounted what happened to their friends.

"What? Harry's gone too?" Sirius Black and Remus Lupin asked in disbelief as they looked around, desperately looking for any sign of their Godson. They walked quickly over to Severus and watched as Mcnair shrank back from them. Remus Lupin was a well-known werewolf and Sirius Black was infamous for his temper when it was roused.

"What black lightning?" Severus snapped as he stepped closer to Mcnair, his eyes blazing with rage, flanked by his two lovers.

"I-I" Mcnair flinched and looked behind him for support from his friends but they refused to meet his eyes, the terror at having Professor Snape practically dripping with Shadow Magic was more than enough to make them speechless.

"What. Happened." Snape was practically frothing at the mouth, his anger and fear was so acute. Sirius laid a hand on his shoulder, only to be rebuffed by a defensive charge that made him clutch his hand in pain. Remus looked worriedly at their Third. Whatever was going through Severus' mind was going to spell big trouble for those boys if they didn't start speaking now.

"I was only following orders!" Mcnair blurted before he slapped a hand over his mouth, his eyes widening in horror.

"What was that?" Severus whispered.

Mcnair shook his head, averting his eyes desperately.

"Severus, we should go talk to Albus. And Lucius and Narcissa as well as James and Lily have to be notified." Remus said softly in an attempt to calm down his lover. "We'll deal with Mcnair, just go to Albus.

"Fine." Severus snapped. His eyes bore into Mcnair's and the boy shivered at the unhidden disgust and anger in the man's eyes. "You had better hope for your sake that she is safe, wherever she is. Or I. Will. Have. Your. Head." Severus spat out, his voice laced with enough venom to make Mcnair whimper in fear. Severus straightened and turned. He paused and then looked at him over his shoulder. "If Lucius Malfoy doesn't take it first."

Mcnair fainted dead away.

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Harry threw himself into the fray, desperately pulling at Ron in an effort to get him off the delicate blonde. Ron hadn't managed to hit Draco yet but it was only a matter of time before the furious redhead would overpower the slighter built boy. Crabbe and Goyle stared dumbly for a moment before joining in, both of them grabbing at Ron and hauling him off the Malfoy Heir. Ron swung out and managed to his Crabbe in the cheek before pulling himself out of Goyle's grip and back towards Draco.

"Stop it!" Hermione cried, pulling out her wand and casting a quick _Petrificus Totalis_ on Crabbe and Goyle before turning back to Ron and Draco, who muttered a quick _Finite Incantum_ on his two companions. Before she could cast any other spells, however, there was the sound of thunder cracking above their heads and everyone paused in surprise. A strange breeze began to swirl around them and they all exchanged uneasy glances, backing away from each other in alarm.

"What's happening?" Ron whispered as his eyes darted towards Draco as though he would know what was happening.

Draco looked at him incredulously and sneered at him. "You think I know? This is probably one of your stupid spells gone wrong!" Draco yelled. His silver hair whipped around his face and Harry couldn't help but notice how attractive it looked. When a book slapped into the back of his head, however, he quickly decided that it would be better if he paid more attention to his surroundings.

"Dee!" Harry's head snapped up at the sound of a voice that sounded vaguely familiar. A look at Ron and Hermione convinced him that he had heard it before. There was another crack of thunder and then a wide circle of darkness opened on the ceiling and pulled at them.

"What the bloody Hell?" Ron yelled as he held onto Hermione as though to shield her from the pull. Draco let out a yelp as he slighter frame was picked up by the winds that had turned into a tempest around them. Crabbe's hand just missed grabbing onto the blonde's long robe and Harry leapt forward, snagging Draco's wrist tightly and pulling him towards him. Harry tucked Draco's head underneath his chin and held onto him as tightly as he could.

"Don't worry Draco, I've got you." He muttered as he felt Draco clutch at his robes.

"Dee!" The voice sounded again and a moment later, two figures fell from the hole, the larger of the two twisting to hit the ground first, protecting the smaller one they were clutching in their arms.

The larger figure scrambled into a sitting position, cradling the smaller one to their chest. "Dee? Dee baby, please wake up. Dee?" From the voice and shape, it was obvious that the one awake was male but with their head bowed, it was almost impossible to tell what he looked like. However, the one sitting on his lap looked quite familiar. Her silvery hair coiled on the floor by them in a thick braid, her pale skin almost deathly white and her delicate brows her drawn together in a pained frown. Her hands were clenched tightly around an object and the boy gently pried it from her frozen fingers. As soon as it left her hand, it began to melt away, disappearing in a haze of steam. The boy stared at the spot it had been before slapping the girl's cheek lightly but getting no response.

"What the..." Ron trailed off as he stared down at them. The boy looked up in alarm as he suddenly realised that he had an audience and Harry drew back in surprise, a shocked gasp coming from under his chin from Draco.

He was looking into a face that was exactly like his, minus the glasses and the scar.

"He looks just like you Harry" Hermione breathed in amazement.

"Who are you?" Harry breathed, his arms tightening around Draco as he struggled to understand what he was seeing.

The boy looked at him in surprise, the same shocked expression mirrored on his face. He had paled several shades and looked quite sick. "I'm Harry Potter. Who the Hell are you?"

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1 My love

2 My uncle

3 It's not right

4 You and father are horrible

5 My God

6 I'm sorry

7 (that's) not very nice

8 roughly: Gound shake(r)

9 roughly: Fire burst

10 roughly: ground shake(r)

11 lit: Fire wheel

12 lit: Ice shadow

Okay, I revised this chapter. See, I had originally planned to leave it without the French but I was so bent on having Dee French that I figured I might as well do it. So there, I did it. Please note that my French is really bad. I only studied the language, and quite badly if I may say so myself, for three years. I'm only working with what I can remember and I'm really very sorry if anyone who knows how to speak French (a very pretty language to be sure) is offended by how terrible my translation is. Of course, you've also noticed the lack of accents with certain words. I had to remove them because the HTML kept getting all screwed up which meant that they didn't dhow up as characters. Therefore I just left them without. I'm really very sorry about that!

Hope you liked it! LOL

Basically, this is a story that wouldn't get out of my head until I wrote it. It's not too shabby, I don't think. Definitely not the best, but not too bad. LOL I'll prolly write a few more chapters without any kind of incentive but after thatƒ I'm not too sure. LOL

Anyways, review or criticise, I don't mind, just please, let it be about the story and not a small grammatical error.


	2. Not quite the same

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**E-mail:**

**Summary:** When two worlds collide, having two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters can only mean trouble. But the reason for barriers between worlds becomes painfully apparent when magic meets magic, and familial duty wars with desire. Slash HPDM, het.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though).

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it.

Blah.thoughts

_Blah._ Writing

"Blah." Talking.

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**Flip Side**

**Chapter Two: Not Quite The Same**

"What in Merlin's name happened here?" Harry jumped at the booming voice of Professor Snape as he swooped into the hall, his gaunt face twisted with annoyance. Snape's eyes widened with incredulity when he saw Harry cradling Draco in his arms. "What are you doing to Mr. Malfoy?" He asked demanded.

"Get off me Potter!" Draco grunted as he shoved Harry off him, his face flushed in embarrassment as he suddenly remembered who he was and who was holding him.

"I repeat, what happened here?" Snape boomed again. He stepped further into the hallway and looked down at the two figures on the floor.

Harry swallowed and licked his lips nervously. "I'm not quite sure sir." He said weakly. He glanced back at the boy who looked like him but the boy had already dropped his head and was lightly slapping the girl's cheek in a vain effort to revive her. It was only then that Harry noticed the black robes they both wore. He squinted behind his glasses, was that the Hogwarts crest on the left sides of their chests?

Snape sent him a scathing look and approached the two on the ground cautiously. "Well, isn't that a surprise." He said sarcastically and Harry frowned in annoyance. Sure, he wasn't the brightest student in the world, but he wasn't an idiot either. "You, boy, what's your name?"

The boy bristled at the question and looked up slowly, his emerald green eyes unshielded by glass and they darted around nervously as they dropped from Snape's.

The scarred Harry's eyes darted towards the girl and he drew back slightly. Almost invisible against the ivory skin was a small scar on her forehead. A lightning bolt shaped scar that was quickly covered by her long bangs as the boy tightened his hold on her and pressed her face into his shoulder.

"What the Devil?!" Snape muttered as he looked between Harry and the other boy, his dark eyes looking as though they were about to jump out of his skull from shock.

"What's going on, Severus?" Professor McGonagall swept into view, curious students following after her, their heads craning to see what the commotion was about. McGonagall saw the two in the middle of the uneasy circle and her eyes widened with concern. "Good Heavens!" Her voice rose as she noticed the other Harry, the one without glasses, and her hand flew up to her throat as she stared. "What in the name of Merlin is going on?"

The boy looked away nervously and tightened his hold on his unconscious companion.

"That's what I was asking." Snape replied as he looked around the group with a critical eye looking for anything that would give them away. His watchful gaze came back to rest on the boy holding the girl.

"They fell out of the ceiling!" Ron blurted out and then turned red when everyone looked at him.

"They fell out of the ceiling," Snape repeated, his tone completely devoid of inflection. "They just fell out of the ceiling."

Ron flushed in embarrassment. Obviously, when it was put it like that, it did sound rather stupid. "Yes! There was this loud booming sound and then a circle of black appeared on the ceiling. They fell out of it." Ron finished hastily.

"I see." Snape scorned, though it was obvious that he did not as he looked down at the two suspiciously. "I asked your name, boy. Answer me!"

"He's still a git."

Snape made a small sputtering sound as he heard the mumbled words of the boy. "Excuse me?"

"Well, what happened here?" Dumbledore chose that moment to appear and he looked over the frame of his glasses at the circle, his gaze coming to a stop on the two still on the ground.

"Apparently they fell from the ceiling." Snape muttered as he kept a cautious eye on them, his face slowly turning red from frustration and anger. By all rights, there was another Harry Potter gracing them with his presence, something that was beyond his patience and understanding.

"Really, what an interesting way to travel." Dumbledore said in his usual good humour as he approached. "It seems that one of them requires medical attention. I do believe it would be best to take them to the infirmary."

"Could you, sir?" The boy asked out loud, his expression hopeful. "I can't wake her up."

"Of course dear boy, of course. You should always help those in need."

The boy smiled in relief and he got up easily, still holding the girl close to his chest, bridal style. "Thank you sir. I don't suppose your name would be Albus Dumbledore, would it?"

"Indeed it is." The Headmaster gave him a thoughtful look as he stroked his beard. "And what is your name?"

"It's Harry, sir. Harry Potter."

"Very interesting indeed. Can you tell me what is going on here?"

Harry, the non-spectacled one swallowed. "I'm not quite sure sir, but once Dee wakes up, I'm sure she'll be able to tell you."

"I see, curious. Come, we'd best be on our way, the quicker we get to the infirmary, the faster we shall have our answers!" He turned back to the other students and made shooing gestures. "I'm sure you all have classes to attend. Please, we will inform you of anything as soon as we become aware of it." He eyed the Gryffindor Trio with laughing eyes and nodded to them. "You as well Harry."

"Uh, of course sir." Harry, lightning bolt scar and all, picked up his books and gave Dumbledore a brief nod before looking back at his double. Emerald met emerald and he saw the same fascination that plagued him mirrored in those unshielded depths. He didn't even feel Hermione and Ron pulling at him until they'd turned the corner.

------------------------

Dee almost sobbed at the headache that assaulted her as soon as she regained consciousness. It was as if someone was trying to pry her skull open with crowbar. She slowly raised a hand to her forehead and grimaced when the slight movement managed to make the pounding worse. Through clenched teeth, she muttered the one of the few healing spells she could actually do and sighed in relief when her headache died down to a dull throb. She slowly relaxed her muscles and sank into the soft mattress underneath her.

She moved slightly and realised that she was lying on a bed, the scratchy sheets under her hands made her frown slightly. Someone had taken off her robe and shoes leaving her in only her Hogwarts uniform.

She could hear voices to her left, the subdued tones puzzling her. They were familiar voices but when she reached out with her magic, their magical signatures were different, similar but still significantly different from what she knew. She lay still, reaching out tentatively around her and testing the layers of magic. She paused, confused, as she encountered something completely unfamiliar to her. There were no layers of different elemental magic; there was just a single layer of magic, distorted and constantly rippling. She drew back into herself, afraid of what else she would find. She felt lost and she didn't like it. She wanted to be wrong, but everything told her that she wasn't. This was not a good thing.

Her eyes flickered open and darted around. The familiar sterile ceiling and walls came into view but it didn't _feel_ familiar. There was something seriously wrong with all this. She had no idea where she was and a cold feeling coiled in her stomach. She couldn't remember when she had ever felt like this before but she knew she had. She was terrified.

A wave of panic swept through her and her breathing started to accelerate. She knew a panic attack was coming on but there was nothing she could do about it. She felt the layers of magic start to jump around her and let out a gasp as she started to choke. Her eyes were wide as she desperately tried to suck in air. She hadn't had a panic attack since she was a child. She heard a buzzer go off somewhere near her head as her back arched off the bed as she tried to fill her lungs.

"Dee!" She turned slightly to see her lover running over to her and almost started to cry. Oh god, this was not supposed to happen.

"She's hyperventilating." A calm voice said and she whipped her head around to see someone's back as they turned towards a shelf. "Here, this should help."

Hands slid under her shoulders to prop her into a sitting position and she clutched desperately at them. Her eyes were wide with distress as she continued to try and take in air. It was as if everything had stopped, as if everything was going in slow motion. Her hands caught onto the thick fabric of someone's robes and she turned to look at them. It was her uncle. But it wasn't. She shoved herself away in horror but the hands tightened around her shoulders and she struggled. She saw another familiar face, Madame Pomfrey, turn towards her but the magical signature was off. When she started to approach her with a vial of pale blue liquid in her hand, Dee couldn't even scream but lashed out wildly and sent the vial flying into the air. She heard the woman's startled cry and the shattering of glass but shadows had started to tinge her vision as her lack of air became a serious issue and she choked back a sob. This was not how she wanted to die!

"Get away from her! You're making it worse!" She felt the man who looked like her uncle roughly jerked away from her and familiar arms wrapped around her tightly. She felt herself being pulled into his lap as a hand settled on her head. She could hear her blood rushing through her veins and the wild beating of her heart as the hand on her head gently began to stroke her cheek. "Calm down, love, just calm down. You have to breathe, okay? Just breathe and it'll be okay." She felt the warm rush of his breath against her cheek and clung tightly to him. She could hear the edge of panic in his voice and tried to calm down for his sake. But the unfamiliarity of her surroundings wasn't helping and she started to choke again, her gasps sharp and high.

"Here, give her this." One of Harry's hands disappeared and she whimpered at the loss. Her head was tilted back and something was pressed against her lips. "Come on baby, just drink this and you'll feel better. It's okay, I've got you." She jerked her head back in alarm and Harry saw the distress in her wide grey eyes. He tipped the potion back into his own mouth and pressed his lips against hers. He forced her lips open and the slightly sweet liquid spilled into her mouth. He gently stroked her throat and she gave a reflexive swallow.

It was as if the clamp around her chest had snapped off. Her head lolled back as she dragged in one lungful of air after another. The relief was so close to ecstasy that her eyes rolled back and she slumped down against Harry's chest.

"There, see? Breathing's always a good thing, isn't it?"

She heard the tremor in his voice and gave him a weak glare from under her bangs. "Not funny." She croaked out as he stroked her cheek. They stayed like that for several minutes, the sound of bustling a distant thing. Her fingers curled tightly into his shirt as she anchored herself to the only familiar thing around her. The minutes ticked by quietly as she listened to the familiar sound of his heart and immersed herself in his scent.

"I was so scared." Harry whispered in her ear quietly. He nuzzled her cheek as he bent down to her. "When you wouldn't wake up, I thought that maybe something had happened to you. You were so pale and cold." He squeezed her hand. "I was afraid." He murmured as he kissed her cheek and then the corner of her mouth. "I wanted to shake you and make you stop scaring me. I set a whole lot of beds on fire." He chuckled weakly.

"Yes, he made quite a scene."

Dee's head whipped around and a spell was on the tip of her tongue but Harry clapped a hand over her mouth and she was too startled to will it.

"It's okay, Dee. He won't hurt you." Harry rubbed her back soothingly as he pulled her back up against his chest. She glared at the cheerful looking man suspiciously and watched as he moved closer to the bed. He stopped several feet away and lowered himself into a padded chair near the wall. He met her glare calmly and gave her a small smile.

"My dear, you gave us all quite a fright." He tilted his head forward slightly and looked at her over the rim of his glasses. "And your arrival here was most interesting."

"Arrival?" Dee asked warily.

"Yeah, remember when Macnair threw something at you?"

Dee remembered a flash of something black landing in her hand followed by agony. She nodded slowly. "I remember that."

"I told them what I remembered but I'm not too good with that sort of thing." Harry shrugged.

"First, I'd like to welcome you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Secondly, I believe introductions are in order. I am Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster of this school. That is Professor McGonagall to your left and Professor Snape at the end of your bed." She moved her eyes away from Dumbledore and looked towards the people he was gesturing to. Sure enough, there was an older, kindly looking woman and a stern, cold looking man standing close to the bed. Dee focused on the man that looked like her uncle, though his gaunt face and lank hair was much different from what she was used to seeing. Her sharp eyes bore into his and she saw the surprise flicker in the dark orbs before a shutter came down over them and she couldn't discern anything else.

Her eyes narrowed slightly and everything in her vision changed. Multicoloured ribbons of light filled her vision. The floor was no longer white; it was black with flecks of dark blues and greens. Ribbons streamed around the three professors, small explosions of light flickering around them. Most noticeable was the small stain of black on Professor Snape's aura. It was enmeshed in the dark blues and greys around him. Professor McGonagall was surrounded by deep greens and yellow while an almost blinding sapphire blue surrounded the Headmaster. She searched carefully for any sign of danger but found none. She blinked rapidly and everything went back to normal.

"And what is your name?" Dumbledore queried.

Dee mulled over the two options that she could think of. Her first option would be to lie to these people and try and find a way home with Harry without their help though she doubted she would get very far as the layers of magic were just too unfamiliar to her which would mean difficulties later on. Or, she could cooperate with them and let them help, which would mean that they would be more likely to find a way home. She preferred the second option. And it probably wouldn't hurt to be polite.

"My name is Draco Narcissa Hypatia Lucretia Amelia Malfoy, sir." She replied smoothly as she straightened in Harry's lap. She gave them a polite nod. "Pleased to meet you."

"Malfoy?" Snape asked incredulously.

"Why? Is there something wrong with that?" Dee asked quietly with a narrowing of her eyes. Snape scowled and gave her a faint sneer that she returned whole-heartedly.

A cough from the Headmaster turned her back to him. "Now, now Severus. There's no reason to be so disbelieving. After all, from what young Harry has told us, it seems they're from another reality. It's only logical that there are corresponding people in their universe."

"You can't believe that story." Snape sneered. "It's preposterous! Alternate universes indeed."

"What makes you think that your world is the only one?" Dee asked with a frown. "Are you so naïve that you believe that the reality that you live in is the only possible one?" She bit back other comments about the man's ignorance. She felt Harry squeeze her waist lightly but ignored it.

"Excuse me?" Snape sputtered as he took a step forward.

"That's enough Severus." Dumbledore said quietly, though the command was evident in his voice. Snape stepped back, a black look on his face as he glared at the small girl.

"Miss Malfoy, I'm sure you are just as confused as us to what happened, but perhaps you could tell us what occurred before you arrived here?" Dumbledore asked kindly when she turned back to face him.

"What has Harry told you?"

"He mentioned that one of your classmates, Macnair, threw an object at you." He prompted.

"Ah. That. Yes, I remember. Before Harry and I found ourselves here," she paused and gestured towards their surroundings with a small grimace, "we were in the middle of a fight with a boy in our year named McNair. He called our friend Mione a mudblood and refused to apologise to her. I must have intimidated him somehow because he attacked me and it degenerated from there. At the end of the fight he threw something at me." She paused and clenched her fist, shivering slightly at the phantom echoes of pain. "I caught it out of reflex and it hurt. It hurt a lot. I don't know anything else aside from that." A thought suddenly occurred to her and she hummed softly to herself. She touched her scar thoughtfully, a gesture that caught the watchful eye of Dumbledore as he watched her thoughtfully.

"I agree with you, though, sir. I can honestly tell you that while everything looks the same, it doesn't _feel_ the same." Dee replied. "Where we're from, we know of a Hogwarts as well, though it is not a school for wizards and witchcraft. I have never heard of these words before."

"Never heard of wizards and witches?" Snape said in disbelief.

"No. We have no such... people where we come from."

"So you don't know any magic?"

"Of course I do. I'm not a Muggle!" Dee replied, insulted. Harry chuckled behind her and she gave him a discrete elbow to the ribs.

"Then what do you call magic users in your world?" Dumbledore asked.

"Ah. Those of use who can wield magic are called Mages. We control the elements and the relating properties." She said with an air of pride.

"Very interesting," the bearded wizard murmured to himself as he stroked his beard. "I don't suppose you could show us your magic? I can only imagine it is far different from ours."

Dee frowned slightly and made a vague gesture. "I'll try."

"Why try?" Snape questioned harshly as he looked at her, suspicion still in his eyes.

"Because, _sir_," she almost sneered at him. He was quite unlike her uncle, yet so alike, and though she could see traces of pain that had caused him to be like he was, she didn't like the sarcastic and patronising attitude that came from a voice that she held dear directed towards her. "Your layers of magic are quite different from the layers in my world. In my world, there are several layers of magic that lie on top of each other. These layers are constantly rippling as each mage makes use of the layer they are attuned to. However, your world only has one layer, which is constantly being distorted in every direction as though too many people are pulling at it at any one time. I'm not sure if my magic will work in the face of that." She shrugged.

"But are you willing to try anyway?" Dumbledore asked gently.

Dee gave him a smirk that was very familiar and nodded. "Of course. A Malfoy never backs down from a challenge." She raised her left hand and snapped her fingers, the loud sound echoing around them. "_Glacialis preasul_1!" She called in a confident voice. She watched as the layer of magic around her twitched before leaping to her command. Momentarily, everything seemed to go black around her. The entire area seemed to become dead. Immediately a wave of nausea washed over her and she fought the urge to gag. But just as quickly as it happened, the area turned a brilliant lightning blue. Everyone in the room felt an undeniable pull as a silvery blue swirl appeared in front of her above the bed. The adults all let out sharp gasps as something inside them clenched, as though something vastly important to them had been ripped away. It grew until a perfectly sculptured female made purely out of ice floated above them. She was taller than Dee herself, who only stood at 5'4", and was closer to Harry's 6'2" at 6 foot. Long ribbons of ice laced around her slender frame to maintain her modesty. She turned and floated down, wrapping her cold arms around Dee's neck, scowling at Harry when he frowned at her.

"You called, Mistress?" Her voice was a whisper and it sent shivers down their spines but Dee gave her a smile and touched her cheek briefly. Faith seemed to see the worry in Dee's swirling grey eyes because she pulled her closer and made a soft soothing sound.

Dee smiled weakly at her. "I'm okay Faith, just a little disoriented. I was just showing the professors what I could do. You are very pretty as always, Faith." The ice maiden made a high sound of delight at the compliment as she twirled, her ribbons swirling.

"Thank you, Mistress!" She cried.

"You're welcome. I'll speak to you later." Faith sighed and caressed her cheek, glaring at Harry before disappearing in a swirl similar to that in which she came.

"I hate it when she does that." Harry muttered and Dee's lips twitched slightly in amusement despite the completely unexpected queasy sensation that summoning Faith had caused. She ruthlessly pushed the sensation away and gave J.P a small smile.

"You know your own Aurelia is just as possessive."

"Yes, but at least she likes you too." Harry sulked.

"A very impressive show, Miss Malfoy!" Dumbledore said with a hint of wonder in his voice.

"Did you feel it? That pull?" McGonagall asked as she gingerly rubbed at her wand arm.

"I guess using elemental magic puts more of a strain on the layer of magic here than it does back home." Dee paused. "What did you feel?"

"Like something had been forcibly pulled out of me." McGonagall murmured. "I felt empty inside."

"I see." Dee's expression became troubled. "I noticed it too, when I cast my spell. It seemed as though the layer around me dipped in response. I think that because there's only one layer, it is far more responsive than the other layers that exist where I'm from."

"So you control ice?" Snape asked, his caution overridden by curiosity at the power she displayed and the control she had used.

"I am a Water Mage." Dee corrected. She didn't feel comfortable enough to expand her answer and gave them steely stares as the silence stretched.

"I see. And what kind of magic do you wield Harry?"

"Oh. Fire." Harry replied. "Do you want me to show you?"

"I thought you already set some beds on fire." Dee rolled her eyes fondly as she noted the excited tone in her boyfriend's voice. He always did enjoy showing off.

Harry flushed with embarrassment and gave her a sheepish smile. "Oh yeah."

"Try not to make anything important explode, love. Perhaps you should try a Fire Dancer, Aurelia is usually easy enough to control."

"Good idea." Harry held out his hands in front of him, palms down and at shoulder height. "_Ignis preasul_2!" His loud command was followed by a moment of silence as everyone felt a pull again and produced a swirling mass of flame that slowly unfolded itself to show a female made of fire, her long robes of flame dancing around her ankles as huge fiery wings unfurled from her back. She was shorter that Faith, closer to Dee's height, but far more untamed. She smirked at the three professors who gaped up at her.

"Hello Harry. My, you look ravishing as always Dee." The fire woman leant down and kissed the girl's cheek and Harry scowled, batting her away with eyes dark with jealousy.

"Aurelia!" He exclaimed in warning and the girl snorted as she tossed back her burning hair.

"Fine, ruin my fun. What is it that you wanted?" She asked almost impatiently and Dee smirked.

"Harry just wanted to show you off Aurelia."

"Well, why wouldn't he? I am rather beautiful, aren't I?" She said, preening.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You're rather full of yourself, that's what."

"I am just a reflection of your personality Harry. Don't blame me."

Harry flushed at Aurelia's words and muttered under his breath. Aurelia stuck her tongue out at him as she vanished in a burst of fire.

"I feel a little queasy." Harry muttered. Dee frowned slightly. If Harry was experiencing something similar, then it was probably a side effect of drawing from the unfamiliar layer of magic.

"Oh, here." Madame Pomfrey handed him a vial of potion that Harry took gratefully.

"Thanks."

"Very impressive." Dumbledore said with a shake of his head. He went silent for a moment looked at Dee thoughtfully and she squirmed under his gaze uncomfortably. He seemed to be just like the Dumbledore with whom she was familiar.

"What kind of magic do you use here, if it's not elemental?" Dee asked curiously.

"We use wand magic." Dumbledore drew out his wand. "It allows us to cast spells."

"Can anyone use a wand?"

"Not just anyone. You have to have magic in your blood."

"Oh, so you have Muggles here too?"

"Yes, there are non-magical humans."

"I see. How exactly do you cast a spell with a wand?"

"Let me give you a small demonstration." He flicked his wand. "_Accio_ pillow." Dumbledore caught the pillow that flew from the bed next to Dee's.

"_Accio_?" Dee tilted her head. "I'm sorry, could you do that again?"

"Of course, my dear _Accio_ pillow."

Dee narrowed her eyes quickly and her vision changed in a heartbeat. The entire layer of magic jerked and dipped around the Headmaster's wand as he said the words. She watched as the ribbons of light jumped and pulled at the pillow on the bed. The pillow was wrapped tightly in the light and flew towards the Headmaster. Well, that was certainly interesting to watch. It was almost exactly like how the layers of magic reacted to how she cast a spell without a wand.

"That's very interesting. We have a spell called _Accio_ as well. I think the main difference is how we cast our spells." Dee murmured. "Thank you for showing me."

"No problem at all." Dumbledore paused. "But back to the matter at hand, do you have any idea why McNair would want to cause you harm?"

"Not really, no." Dee fibbed. It wasn't exactly a lie. She didn't trust these people enough to tell them everything.

"I see. You have no idea at all?" Dumbledore pressed gently. When she shook her head he leant back into his seat. She wasn't telling him everything, and in her position, he wouldn't have either. However, it would be prudent to keep an eye on the pair until they opened up to him. He clapped his hands and stood up with a smile. "Well, I think that it may be safe to say that you two will be staying here for a while. I think we had better find accommodation for the pair of you, shall we?"

"I guess so." Dee replied cautiously. She turned slightly and saw Harry giving her an encouraging smile and couldn't help but smile back at him.

"There's also the matter of having two Harry Potters and two Draco Malfoys attending the school at the same time," Dumbledore said as he watched them. "It would have been easier if other students hadn't seen you but as the majority of Sixth and Seventh Years have already seen you, it's too late to make up an exchange student story. We'll have to tell them the truth... about your names anyway."

"But if there are two Harry Potters, what will we be called?" Harry asked. "Dee doesn't like being called Draco so she's all right, but I like being called Harry."

"Why don't we call you Harry James?" Dumbledore suggested and then chuckled as Harry wrinkled his nose.

"Ugh, no thanks."

"Just call him J.P." Dee suggested as she slipped her feet back into her shoes and swirled her robe back onto her shoulders. Harry gave her a slightly disgruntled look and she shrugged. "I think it sounds cute."

"Ah, that's a reasonable suggestion." Dumbledore said with a smile. "It's decided, we'll call you J.P. What do you think of that, J.P?"

The newly dubbed J.P muttered to himself. "All right I guess."

"Don't sulk love, it doesn't suit you." Dee admonished as she turned to him.

"You sulk." he pointed out.

"Ah, but I'm good at it. I look like a mourning angel. You just look like a mountain troll." J.P sputtered as she turned back around, her lips turned up in a mischievous smile and J.P. brightened to see her relax. "Come along J.P, let's go."

"Hmm... Now, where to put you?" Dumbledore stroked his beard. "Would you rather stay in the dormitories with the other students or have your own lodgings?"

"Personally, I'm not too comfortable sharing space with people I don't know." Dee replied.

"Ditto. Could we have our own place?" J.P asked.

"I'm sure that could be arranged. We also have the matter of which House you two belong to."

"House?" Harry asked curiously. "What House?"

"You don't have Houses in your Hogwarts?"

Dee shook her head, "No, there haven't been Houses in Hogwarts since the 1700s. They were Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, weren't they?"

"That's correct. But why aren't there Houses?"

"Ah, well, in the 1700s, there was a House War. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff weren't involved but the Slytherins and Gryffindors almost destroyed the dormitories."

"What happened?"

"Slytherin flooded and shadow stalked the Gryffindor Tower whilst the Gryffindors fire stormed and earth quaked the Slytherin Dungeons. No one was actually _killed_ as such, though there were a lot of rather unpleasant injuries. Sufficed to say, the Headmaster was not pleased. They dissolved the Houses to get rid of the House rivalry. It worked I guess."

"I see," Dumbledore murmured into his beard. "Well, we have never had House rivalry that out of control so we still have houses. We need to put you into one until we figure out a way to send you back. It would be best if you had a House to call your own. That way, you won't be alone." He regarded the two thoughtfully. From what he could tell from the two youths, their appearance would definitely bring some excitement to the school.

"That seems reasonable." Dee replied.

"Does that mean we still have to go to class?" J.P. asked with a sigh. Snape snorted and McGonagall hide a smile behind a polite cough.

"Well, that's settled. Let's go to my office and sort you then." Dumbledore said with a smile.

-----------------------

1 Ice dancer

2 Fire dancer

It's really obvious that I've changed quite a bit of this chapter. I wasn't entirely happy with what I had before and this will make it easier to tie up with the later chapters. Also, it helps with the characterisation problems with Dee and J.P.

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed previously! I appreciated it so much and I really hope you enjoyed this new version!

I'd love to thank my lovely betas: **Lady LaCroix, Kivrin, beezy and lilypurewhite** for putting up with my incredible errors in both grammar and spelling, not to mention the problems with plot and presentation. Thanks a heap you guys!

Reviews and all are appreciated and everything!


	3. Sorting's a funny business

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**E-mail:**

**Summary:** When two worlds collide, having two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters can only mean trouble. But the reason for barriers between worlds becomes painfully apparent when magic meets magic, and familial duty wars with desire. Slash HPDM, het.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though).

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it.

Blah.thoughts

_Blah._ Writing

"Blah." Talking.

-----------------------------------------------

**Flip Side**

**Chapter Three: Sorting's a funny business**

It wasn't long after Dee was settled down into the large plush armchair that Dumbledore set the Sorting hat down on her silvery head.

Well, well, well. Another Malfoy. And another Draco Malfoy if I'm correct. That's interesting, most interesting indeed.

Dee raised an eyebrow at the sound of a gravely voice in her head. A talking hat? How novel.

A mental chuckle was her reward as she felt something brushing against her mind. A cunning young girl, to be sure. Very ambitious. I can see you're willing to use every charm you possess to get your way. But you have a desire to prove yourself beyond doubt, to protect your friends and fight for the good of your people.The voice in her head paused. But what's this?

Dee had the impression that the one in her mind was raising an eyebrow. Ce qui est si interessant? What's so interesting?

The Heir of Slytherin, I see. Very interesting indeed. I have only ever met one other who is the Heir to of Slytherin.

Dee tilted her head curiously. Really? Who was it?

A young man named Tom Riddle. He had great promise. He could have been anything he wanted to, had he put his mind to it.

I see. So where does that put me?

I see a heart that is pure and strong, a desire to protect and fight for what you believe in. A most Gryffindor trait. But I also see a mind that misses nothing and will use everything at its disposal to achieve her goals. Your ambitious nature drives your forward. The choice is up to you.

Dee paused, mulling over the tidbits of information she'd just received. Tell me, which house is the other Draco Malfoy in?

Ah, young Master Malfoy is in Slytherin, as was his father and his father's father and their fathers before them.

Interesting. No need to ruin tradition. I would like to be placed in Slytherin.

Very well.

"SLYTHERIN!

Dee jumped as the hat cried out its decision, and she blinked as it was lifted off her head.

"Interesting." Dumbledore murmured as he looked at her from over the edges of his glasses. "It seems that Miss Malfoy has been sorted into Slytherin. That means that Professor Snape will be looking after you.

"I see." Dee replied smoothly as she stood, making way for J.P as he plopped down onto the chair she had vacated. She met Snape's dark look evenly.

"Your turn Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said as he placed the hat down on his messy hair.

Greetings Harry Potter.

"Huh?" Harry jumped slightly at the voice in his head.

Don't be alarmed. I won't hurt you.

Oh... you're talking in my head?J.P asked tentatively.

Yes, I see you're not familiar with such types of communication.

No, not really. I prefer talking to people out loud.J.P replied.

Most people do. Now, let's see what you have for me. Ah... You are a brave young man with a righteous heart and a strong desire to help those you love. Your stubborn nature allows you to prove yourself in your endeavours as well as to hold true to yourself. Interesting indeed.

How is that interesting? Uh, sir.J.P added as an after thought. He didn't want to anger someone who could talk in his head.

The Harry Potter of this world is quite like you, though I don't think he likes attention as much as yourself.

Oh.J.P didn't know how to respond. So am I going to the same house as him?

Would you like to?

I reckon it would be an interesting experience.J.P mused to himself.

Very well then.

"GRYFFINDOR!

"Just what we need, another Gryffindor." Snape muttered as he watched J.P take the hat off.

"Now, now, Severus, don't be like that. Professor McGonagall is the Head of Gryffindor so if you have any problems, you may go to her." Dumbledore stroked his beard. "I think it's safe to say that you two will be staying with us for a while. Perhaps we should discuss what you will be doing until then.

"We could attend classes." Dee suggested.

"What? Why?" J.P asked with a horrified look.

"It's simple: Why waste an opportunity like this? It's a completely different magical system here. I for one think that an opportunity like may never happen again. I want to learn what I can before I go home." Dee replied. "Think of the advantage we would have over other students.

Dumbeldore chuckled. A true Slytherin indeed. "Very well thought, Miss Malfoy. What year are you in?

"We're both in Sixth Year.

"Good, good. We'll arrange for you to attend the Sixth Year Gryffindor and Slytherin classes then.

"Thank you." Dee replied while J.P looked unhappily at his girl friend.

Dumbledore stood up and clapped his hands, his eyes sparkling as he made his way towards the door to his office. "I think it's time to show you to your rooms. I'm sure you'd both like to rest. We can introduce you to the other students tomorrow. Since it is Saturday tomorrow, you should be fine getting to know your fellow Housemates.

Dee brushed her fat braid over her shoulder and followed the Headmaster out of the room. She felt J.P loop a long arm around her waist and snuggled close to him. She felt the disapproving stares of the other two professors but did't care. After all, it wasn't like they were _their_ professors.

"I'm sure you'll like your room. It's located on the left side of the school. It has a lovely view of the lake." Dumbledore said cheerfully.

"Sounds pleasant." Dee replied. She had always loved the lake at Hogwarts. It was very beautiful at dawn and sunset. She had managed to cajole her uncle into giving her the Prefect's room with the enchanted walls and ceiling. She had spelled the walls to give her a panoramic view of the lake at all hours of the day.

"I hoped you would like it. Here we are." Dumbledore stopped in front of a large portrait of a forest scene. In a corner a young nymph clad in dark green and pale yellow sat on a small tree stump, her large blue eyes watching them curiously. "The password is Ôforest green'.

The painting swung open and Dumbledore ushered the two teens inside.

"C'est beau[1]! This is a very lovely room!" Dee exclaimed despite herself as she took in the lush deep green carpet with the tasteful deep reds and browns used to colour the furniture. Two large windows looked out from the wall to their left giving them a breathtaking view of the lake. Opposite them were two large sets of double doors with a smaller door between them. A fireplace was to their right.

"Yes, it is. Those two double doors open to your rooms and the door between them is the bathroom. Both the bedrooms connect to the bathroom from the inside as well." Dumbledore paused and watched as the two looked over their new rooms. "Well, that's all for now. If you want anything, just ring that bell pull over there by the fireplace. It will summon a House Elf.

Dee nodded and then hesitated. She bit her lips for a moment before looking up at the Headmaster. "Thank you for being kind to us. In most circumstances people wouldn't be." She gave them all a respectful nod and saw J.P. beaming at her proudly from the corner of her eye.

"Think nothing of it my dear. Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall will come introduce you to your Housemates before breakfast tomorrow morning. Enjoy your evening." With that, the three professors left them to themselves.

Dee watched the portrait swing closed behind them. "It seems we don't really have a choice." She listened closely as they footsteps faded away before walking up to the portrait and opened it. She looked down he hall both ways before stepping out and pressing her hands to the right side of it. There was a soft crackling sounds as she summoned a tiny ice rose that sat snugly in the crack between two stone bricks. Satisfied, she stepped back into the room and the portrait swung closed behind her.

"I've set a watch on the door so we'll know who's come to call." She said as she came back in. She blinked when she saw J.P. staring at her intently. "What?

He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. All of a sudden, everything rushed back to him and the urge to shake her for scaring him or to hug her and never let go came back with a veneance. He clenched his hands into fists as confusion flitted over her features and he kept trying to voice his feelings.

"J.P? What's wrong?" Dee walked over to him quickly as he continued to open and close his mouth. "Do you feel sick? Are you hungry?

"I-you-I-" J.P shook his head and wrapped her tightly in his arms. He buried his head against her shoulder and neck and breathed deeply. "You scared me." He muttered against her skin. "I thought you'd never wake up. I thought you'd left me." He picked her up quickly, bridal style, and fairly kicked open one of the bedroom doors. He didn't even bother to close it behind him as he strode towards the bed and dumped her on it.

"J.P., what's wrong?" Confusion flickered in her eyes. He had seemed fine in the infirmary. "Hey!" Dee let out a small indignant cry as she landed in a heap and bounced on the bed. J.P quickly pinned her down beneath his larger body and his large hands worked quickly to strip her of her clothes. She yelped when she heard her shirt rip as he tugged impatiently at the soft cotton. "J.P.!

He paid her little mind as he stripped himself and pressed her back down into the mattress when she tried to get up. His hot lips against hers cut off her protests and he pinned her hands by her shoulders when she struggled.

"Mmph!" She could feel how tense he was, his skin hot against hers. She felt the desperation in his kisses as he plundered her mouth and understanding dawned in her. She stopped struggling and relaxed against him. His kisses became less forceful, gentler as she did. She moved her legs and wrapped them around his waist and he growled low in his throat. She arched into him with a muffled cry when he ground down against her.

His lips broke away from hers and he slid them across her cheek to her ear. "If you ever leave me, I will follow you to the ends of the Earth. I will never stop looking for you. You're mine Draco Narcissa Hypatia Lucretia Amelia Malfoy and I have no intention of ever letting you go." His voice was hard with conviction and he drew back to look her in the eye.

She watched as his green eyes darkened and swirled with emotion. She knew her own silvery eyes had darkened in response and she reached up and brushed her knuckles against his cheek tenderly. She caressed his face for a moment before her expression became fierce and she slid her fingers into his thick hair and pulled him down to her. "Harold James Potter, I have Claimed you and nothing and no one will ever take you from me. I will never let you go. You belong to me. If you even so much think of leaving me, I will hunt you down to Hell and back and curse you into oblivion until all you know is my name.

J.P's eyes darkened with desire and love as he looked down at the only person he knew he could ever love. Her intense expression made him chuckle as he kissed her lovingly and cupped her face in his hands. "I would only be too glad if you did.

"Then never forget it, J.P. mine," she murmured and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He nuzzled her throat possessively as he moved his hands down her sides and gripped her hips. She moved under him when he sank his teeth into the juncture of her neck and shoulder and he lapped lightly at the red marks he left. "Mine." Harry growled out as he raised his head and proceeded to thoroughly claim her.

Hours later, as she ran her fingers through his damp hair, Dee stared at the canopy of their bed above them through half closed eyes. She heard his soft and even breathing as it stirred the damp hair that clung to her cheeks and throat. The air still hummed and crackled with their joined power and she watched as crimson and gold swirled around emerald and silver. She wrapped her huge white wings around them as J.P shivered slightly and shifted on top of her, his temple pressed against her cheek as he tightened his embrace.

Despite the confidence she had shown to him and everyone else, Dee was incredibly worried about their situation. Dee knew what artefact McNair had used to send her and J.P. to this world - it was a World Turner. It worked like a Time Turner but with worlds instead of time. She had thought the Four Founders had destroyed them all but apparently, they hadn't. What little there was known about them was very unhelpful. A brief description and a picture was all Dee could remember finding. But what she could vividly remember is reading that once a World Turner was used, there was almost no way for those teleported by it could find a way back to where they started because a World Turner could only be used once. After that, it simply disappeared.

She drew the edge of one wing up and down J.P's back as he stirred slightly and pressed his lips against her shoulder.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked huskily.

She shook her head and continued to run her fingers through his hair. "Nothing, mon amour. Nothing at all." I will worry for the both of us.

-----------------

"My Lord, something very strange has happened in Hogwarts.

Crimson eyes slit open as they surveyed the cowering servant in front of him.

"Indeed it has." The low hiss reverberated around the room as the eyes slid shut once again. "Something very interesting is going to happen and I will turn it in my favour.

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Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous version of Flip Side! I really appreciated it and I hope you like this new (and hopefully) improved version! LOL

[1] It's beautiful

Er, yes, this is decidedly shorter than the second chapter, but that's only because I had to split it up into two different chapters. It would have been a little long and I don't think you guys would have wanted that. But not to worry! It's all good! LOL

I'd love to thank my lovely betas: **Lady LaCroix, Kivrin, beezy and lilypurewhite** for putting up with my incredible errors in both grammar and spelling, not to mention the problems with plot and presentation. Thanks a heap you guys!

Reviews and all are appreciated and everything!


	4. Slytherin games

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**E-mail:**

**Summary:** When two worlds collide, having two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters can only mean trouble. But the reason for barriers between worlds becomes painfully apparent when magic meets magic, and familial duty wars with desire. Slash HPDM, het.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though).

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it.

Blah.thoughts

Blah. Writing

"Blah." Talking.

--------------------- Denotes a change of scene

Big spaces between paragraphs show a change of perspective.

Blah.

The above is an example of a flash back.

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**Flip Side**

**Chapter Four: Slytherin Games**

Harry peered out the window, his glasses pushed up his nose as he pressed his forehead against the cold surface. His breath fogged up the glass, but he didn't care. He could make out the faint reflection of his own green eyes against the grey-tinged grass below the tower.

That boy, Harry Potter he'd said his name was, had been plaguing his thoughts all night. Harry was not used to seeing people who looked like him, let alone had the same name as him, fall out of the ceiling and into his life. At first he'd been afraid that it was another trick of Voldemort's, but something about the boy made him feel... well, longing. A single look into those guileless emerald eyes had made him ignore his inbuilt sense of danger. While Harry was sure his own were sad and soulful after having lost his parents, suffering under his aunt and uncle and cousin and then the tragic loss of his doting Godfather, the boy's eyes had been free of grief and full of confidence. Harry didn't know what to think but he knew wanted what that boy had, he wanted to know what it was like to have a life that made someone's eyes so free of pain.

He shuffled slightly on the window seat, clutching his blanket closer to him as he pressed his cheek against the window.

And the boy wasn't the only mystery. The girl, with her silvery hair and pale skin, she could have been Draco's twin sister. She'd looked broken lying there in the boy's arms, like a puppet with its strings cut. But in the brief moment that the boy had looked up, Harry had seen something horrifyingly familiar. A faint silvery scar marred the perfect skin on her forehead, though it had been quickly covered by the fall of her long bangs when the boy had moved her.

Harry brushed his own scar unconsciously with his long fingers, the calloused fingertips moving over the slightly raised skin. It was worth thinking about.

----------------------------------

Draco stared listlessly at the canopy above his head. His eyes were dull and blank as he lay there. His left hand was curled around a crumpled letter.

You are expected to follow in my footsteps. Uphold the family name.

Only one line of elegant handwriting marked the page but it was enough. Draco knew what was expected of him. He knew the consequences of refusing. Even from Azkaban, his father could still reach him.

Life slowly seeped back into his eyes and he rolled over onto his side and stared at the letter hopelessly. What could he do? He didn't want to be some mad man's slave, let alone a murderer. A self-mocking sneer twisted his lips as he thought bitterly about his options. He could refuse his father and die. He could follow his father and then be condemned for his actions. It was a wonderful array of options.

He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Unbidden, the sensation of lips against his ear came to his mind. He shivered and curled up, his knees tucked up to his chest. He brought up a hand and started to stroke his ear absently. The memory of Harry's body pressed against his, his chin resting on his head, but most of all, the comfort he felt, was painfully vivid.

He had never been a particularly affectionate person; his parents had never felt the need to show affection for their only child, let alone each other. Then again, Draco knew his mother and father didn't hold much affection for each other. Theirs had been an arranged marriage and Draco was dreading the day when they told him who he was going to marry. Choosing his own bride had never been an option and it was something that Draco often mused upon. He sometimes imagined the kind of woman he would marry. She would have to beautiful, extremely wealthy and she would have to know her place. In other words, boring. Draco wanted someone who would meet him head on, someone who wouldn't be afraid to tell him he was wrong and someone who wasn't scared of him. That didn't leave many people.

Harry Potter isn't afraid of you.A voice murmured in his head. He frowned at the thought. He didn't need this. He thought he had gotten over that crush years ago. But you know you enjoyed being in his arms. He wouldn't let anyone hurt you. He wouldn't let Lucius hurt you. He could protect you.

"But who would protect me from him?" Draco said softly to himself. The voice was silent. Draco sighed and closed his eyes. That was the question, wasn't it? If it wasn't one person that hurt him, it was another.

------------------------

"J.P wake up." J.P. snorted in his sleep and rolled over towards the voice. He cracked open an eye and stared up at her. The bathrobe she was wearing was a deep emerald colour and looked like silk. Knowing Dee, it probably was. She was brushing out her long, wet hair.

"Merlin, what time is it?" He muttered and looked around. He squinted at the clock and then dropped his head with a sigh. "It's only seven, Dee. Why are you awake? Why aren't you in bed with me?

Dee made a small sound of amusement. "You're a randy nutter, J.P. I'm ready because Headmaster Dumbledore mentioned that we would be meeting our Housemates today. As such, I think it would be best to be awake and dressed before the professors come to pick us up." She didn't mention that she'd been awake all night trying to think of a way to get them home.

"And I need you to dry my hair." She continued. She sat down at the edge of the bed and turned her back on him. "So come on, dry it for me.

"All right, all right." J.P. sighed and sat up. He slowly ran his hand down her hair from crown to tip. A soft reddish light sprung up around his hand and made her hair glow a soft pink. Within moments, Dee's hair was dry. J.P grimaced at the slight nausea that welled up in him but shook it off. "Ugh.

"Still feeling ill?

"Yeah.

"I think it depends on how much concentration we need to cast the spell. I did some scrying this morning and I felt a little ill, but nothing compared to when I summoned Faith.

"So you're saying that we'll only get sick if we cast big spells? The other spells will just make us a little queasy?

"Yes.

"Better than feeling like I need to throw up all the time." J.P replied as he leant forward to nuzzle her neck as she pulled her hair back to start braiding it.

"Oh no you don't." She stood up and turned back to face him as her fingers moved through her hair. "I'm not going to get caught in another compromising position with you.

"Aw, come on." J.P. said with a beguiling smile. Dee only snorted and rolled her eyes. "You're not very nice to your boyfriend." J.P pouted.

She gave him a familiar smirk. "I'm a Malfoy. I don't do nice." She replied. "Now you, get into that shower and make yourself decent." She pointed imperiously towards the bathroom and cocked an eyebrow expectantly.

"Fine, you slave driver.

Dee smirked. "I rather like the thought of you being my slave.

"Ah..." J.P gave her a look that was a mixture of amusement and worry before he threw the covers off and grumbled as he padded to the bathroom. "But what am I going to wear?

"DonÔt worry about that, I'll look after it." She pulled her hair over her shoulder as she finished off her braid and tied it off with her black velvet ribbon. J.P nodded and disappeared into the bathroom.

She wrinkled her nose as she looked at their uniforms. She had laid them over the top of the large chest at the end of their bed and wondered what to do with them. She picked up her ruined shirt and looked at it critically. Narrowing her eyes, she shook it out. It shimmered for a moment before it started to change shape and colour. It darkened into a slate grey, the front fusing together and the whole thing shortening so that it reached just under her bust. She shucked off her bathrobe and pulled the shirt over her head. It fit her snugly and she smiled in satisfaction. It cinched tight under her bust and the long sleeves were slightly wider at the end and the high collar was soft against her jaw line. She dismissed her skirt and picked up her robe and ran the material between her hands, murmuring to herself and watched as the silk turned into a coarser fabric and dulled in colour until it was black. She pulled on the black muggle jeans and buttoned them up as she nudged her shoes. They shivered and then grew bigger. The sensible school shoes morphed into a pair of black dragon skin boots that would go up to her knees. She slipped them on before looking at J.P's clothes.

"Now, what would look good on him?" She murmured to herself. She touched his shirt lightly and like her clothes, it shimmered and shifted. She held up a black sleeveless shirt that had deep red stitching around the edges. She nudged his grey trousers with her knee and they became baggier and darker, melting into a pair of black combat pants. His shoes were easy to transfigure into a pair of combat boots, and she smiled in satisfaction.

"Nice clothes, Dee.

She felt large arms wrap around her waist and warm lips nuzzle her ear. "Of course they are, I made them." She retorted.

"So what am I wearing?

"These. Put them on before the professors get here." She went into the bathroom to check her hair. She was startled when she heard a low whistle and blinked at her reflection in the mirror.

"You look simply ravishing, my dear." Dee tilted her head as it dawned on her. A talking mirror! How fascinating! She leant close and traced her finger over the cold surface. She felt a shiver of magic leap to meet her touch. A soft giggle from the mirror followed and she leant back.

"Well, that's interesting." She smiled.

"Not as interesting as you." The voice replied. "You look very familiar. Have I seen you before?

"I'm sure we've never met before.

"Well, I don't think I'll forget your face now. You're positively stunning." The soft voice positively purred from the mirror as Dee fluffed her bangs and tilted her head from side to side.

"Merci beaucoup[1]." She smiled and blew a kiss at the mirror and smirked when it let out a soft squeal. She gave herself one last glance before turning and walking out of the bathroom.

J.P had finished changing, and she looked him over critically. He had added a pair of dragon-hide arm guards, quite similar to those in the Quidditch uniform, which were plated with tarnished silver along the outer side.

"Very nice, Potter." She purred as she ran her hand down his chest. "All my lessons didn't go to waste.

J.P winked and adjusted his arm guards. "As if you didn't know that already.

"True." Dee agreed as she smoothed his shirt one last time before picking up her robe and swirling it around her shoulders. She had just finished closing the silver dragon clasp when a knock sounded at the door. She walked over to the small table by the door and peered into the shallow bowl of water that sat there. She saw the shaky images of Snape and McGonagall and nodded to herself.

"Come in." She said politely and watched as the portrait swung open and allowed the two professors to enter.

"It's good to see that you're both ready." McGonagall said in an approving manner. "I think it's best that we lay down some ground rules first, however.

"Of course." Dee replied.

"First of all, there is to be no wandering around after curfew, which is nine O'clock, unless you have permission or a good reason. Secondly, there is to be no fighting in the halls or between classes, and especially during classes. You must sit at your House tables during every meal if you wish to attend them." She gave them pointed looks. J.P. looked a little unhappy about the last rule but didn't protest. Dee just nodded. "Is that clear?

"Yes professor. We have similar rules back at our school." Dee said.

"Very well. We'll introduce you to your Housemates now. Miss Malfoy, you will be going down to the Slytherin Dungeons with Professor Snape and Mr. Potter, you will come with me to Gryffindor Tower." They both nodded and followed out the portrait.

"See you later Dee." J.P said as he leant down to kiss her cheek.

She waved him away and nodded. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." She drawled and smirked. J.P rolled his eyes and followed after McGonagall. Dee watched him for a moment before turning to face Snape.

"No public displays of affection, either." Snape said tightly.

Dee raised an eyebrow but didn't reply and followed after him. She looked around avidly, taking everything in; all the differences and all the similarities making her shake her head. The air had become a little cooler and she was glad that she enjoyed the cold. Even back in her world, she had stayed in the dungeons so it didn't really bother her. They walked down a set of stairs before they came to the end of a long hallway. There was a large set of shackles hanging on the wall.

Snape cleared his throat. "Purity of blood." He turned to see Dee's curious look and explained tersely. "It's the password to the common room. Remember it. I won't tell you again.

"Yes, sir." Dee replied. She watched as the stone in front of them shifted and then parted with a dull groan. She was met by a handful of people sitting in a large room decorated in a silver and green design. Large, plush sofas were spread around the room with smaller tables close to them. A huge fire roared away in the fireplace, above which sat a large portrait of a stern looking man with sharp eyes and a stern expression. It was Salazar Slytherin. Dee would know his face anywhere. His portrait sat in her sitting room back in Hogwarts.

When the walls parted completely, they stepped in and the people who were already in there looked at them in surprise. A few raised curious eyebrows and many talked quickly to each other whilst others scampered away and brought back more people. Dee's eyes moved over them all with the same arrogance that had earned her the nickname Ice Queen, aside from the obvious. She gave them a smirk and they started twittering again.

"Enough!" Snape snapped and they all quieted down. Dee could see the respect in their eyes when they looked at the Head of their House and filed it away. "As you all know by now, there was an incident yesterday." There was another bout of twittering and Snape scowled them into silence. "This girl here is one of the people who was involved. Her name is Draco Malfoy.

"Draco Malfoy?!

Dee's smirk widened as she thought about how comical they all looked with their wide eyes and gaping mouths. "Draco Narcissa Hypatia Lucretia Amelia Malfoy to be exact." She drawled.

"She has been sorted into Slytherin House." Snape didn't say anything about treating her nicely. It would have been useless. Slytherins were not known for their friendliness.

"She will be attending your classes starting on Monday." Before he could continue, there was a small popping sound and a house-elf appeared at his side.

"Professor Snape, sir." It said in a squeaky voice. "Headmaster Dumbledore would like to talk to you.

"Very well." The house elf nodded and disappeared with another pop. "I shall leave you to get acquainted." He turned on his heel and left the room, leaving Dee by herself against the wall.

There was an awkward silence that Dee refused to fill with nervous chatter and settled for giving them all assessing glances. Most of them were staring at her with a mixture of distrust and curiosity, but Dee expected that. She felt a twinge in her chest and looked towards a darkened corner of the room. A lone figure sat in the large wing chair and slowly rose. Silver met silver and there was a flash of surprise in both eyes. There was silence as the boy moved forward and stopped several feet away from her. Both of them narrowed their eyes as they assessed the other.

The boy was tall, probably 5'10", and slender. He looked like her father when he was younger, albeit a little more finely boned and delicate. He was wearing a pair of black dragon hide boots and black trousers with a button up black silk shirt. He looked like a fallen angel. Dee smirked; she had an inkling of who he was. The Headmaster and the Sorting Hat had mentioned another Draco Malfoy.

"Draco Malfoy, you said?" The boy drawled the question.

"That I did. May I take a wild stab in the dark and ask if you happen to be named Draco Malfoy as well?" Dee drawled back.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy." He tipped his head slightly in a mocking bow.

"Enchante[2]." Dee smirked and returned his mocking bow with one of her own.

"Isn't Draco a boy's name?" Dee looked at the girl who had spoken. If she wasn't mistaken, it was Pansy Parkinson, though this one wore a lot of makeup.

"And what might your name be?" Dee asked. She noticed the other students sitting down where they could. Probably waiting for a show, Dee thought in amusement.

"Pansy Parkinson. Why is your name Draco if you're a girl? I would have thought that a girl would have gotten a girl's name," Pansy asked snidely. She glared at the silvery blonde. She had the same angelic beauty as Draco and if she had the same sort of charm that Draco had, she would be able to topple her from the top of the Slytherin females without batting an eye.

Dee didn't even pause in her reply. "I happen to think Draco is a fine name and goes very well with my last name. Dragon of Bad Faith is exceptionally regal, wouldn't you say? Though I do prefer being called Dee. It's a lot more feminine. But I must say, it's better than being named Rose or some other flower." The sideways glance and smile she gave Pansy was calculated in its sweetness. "Not making any fun of your own name of course. Pansies are very lovely flowers.

The girl gaped at Dee in embarrassment as she felt her face going red. She spluttered unintelligibly for a moment before drawing her wand. "How dare you!

"Oh, I think it's perfectly reasonable. You insulted me. Can't you take any insulting yourself?" Dee replied calmly as she looked at the other girl's wand lazily. She watched with interest, as the magical layer seemed to bend around her as she swung it up and pointed it straight at her face.

"I wouldn't insult me, if I were you." Pansy hissed.

Dee watched as Draco stepped back slightly to watch with an expression of interest. "And why's that?

"I know a lot of painful curses and hexes.

"Really? What makes you think I don't know any myself?" Dee drawled.

"You haven't even drawn your wand." Pansy snorted.

"Why should I bother?" Dee asked lazily as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Petrificus totalus!" Pansy snapped as she flicked her wand. She smirked and when Dee didn't move. Obviously, the girl was as dumb as she was pretty.

"That wasn't nice." Dee murmured as she tilted her head to the side and gave the spell a slight nudge as it brushed by her. It bounced off the wall behind her and Pansy squealed as she ducked it. It hit a sofa and crackled out harmlessly.

"You should watch where you point that wand of yours. It's dangerous." She smirked.

"Stupefy!" Pansy snarled.

Dee's left hand snapped up to her face in a fencer's salute. "Protego!" A shimmering sphere sprung to life around her as everyone close to her jerked in surprise at the tugging sensation her casting caused. Pansy's spell skittered off her shield and Dee slowly lowered her hand. A slender, crystal like wand was held in her hand. It shimmered in the light and she twirled it at her side as she smiled at the other girl. In truth, the wand in Dee's hand was made of ice but she figured that no one would be able to tell the difference. She just hoped she wouldn't be feeling too nauseous after this.

"Parkinson, I suggest you stop now. I don't particularly want to duel with you, but I will retaliate if you attack me again." Though her voice was light, there was a hint of warning. Inwardly, Dee could feel her heart swelling with anticipation. There was almost nothing she enjoyed as much as dueling or competing. It was like a drug to her; the adrenaline was incredible.

Pansy's face went red at her words and completely disregarded her warning. She waved her wand aggressively. "Furnunculus!

Dee crouched down and let the spell whistle over her head. She flicked her makeshift wand as she stepped to the side. "Torpeo[3].

Pansy hadn't expected any lateral movement and was too surprised to cast a shielding spell fast enough. Pansy hissed as her arm suddenly went numb. She felt as though someone had frozen her from shoulder to fingertip. She had managed to block the spell with her left arm. She flicked her wand again. "Expelliarmus!

Dee saw the ribbons of light speeding towards her and managed to twist to the side. She felt the rush of magic that both heralded and followed its path as it moved by her. "Glacialis madidus[4].

Pansy slipped on the wet ice that had spread out under her feet and fell hard on her backside. She turned bright red at the snickers she heard from her Housemates and screamed an anti-gravity mist spell. Pansy was frustrated to see Dee calmly step away from it.

"Redo[5]." The mist seemed to swallow itself before it shot back at Pansy.

With a startled Finite incantantem, Pansy dispelled her mist but not before falling backwards in her haste to avoid her own spell. Pansy leapt to her feet and snapped a modified chaining spell. She smiled smugly when Dee tried to move but was dragged back against the wall when heavy metal chains shot out and wrapped around her tightly. "Not so confident now, are you?

"It could be worse." Dee replied and then smirked in a decidedly feral manner. "Frago[6]." Long spikes of ice began to form around her, slipping between the circles of chains and expanding. There was a dull groaning sound as the chains fought to stay together but they finally fell away with a loud snap. Dee dusted off her clothes nonchalantly.

Pansy gaped at her before she started firing curse after curse at her in fury.

Dee shook her head as her opponent's movements became more erratic and violent, dodging easily and casting a few numbing spells every now and then. "So much wasted motion[7]." She murmured. The other girl was quickly tiring herself out with all her frenetic movement.

"What was that?" Pansy snapped, panting. She was getting tired and Dee hadn't even broken a sweat yet. She pointed at the hem of Dee's robes and cast another spell. "Incendio!

"I think that you move too much, you waste too much energy." Dee replied as she calmly put out the tiny spark that had lit up the hem of her robe. She wasn't too worried about it. After sparring with J.P and his pyromancy, that little spell was nothing. She tilted her head as she contemplated her opponent. It would be best to finish it now, before the girl collapsed.

Pansy shrieked in frustration and embarrassment as the other girl pointed out her problem. She waved her wand again and arrows shot out of the end of it.

Dee hadn't expected a physical attack and stepped back in surprise. She only managed to twist away from the first and second arrow, but the third and fourth drew blood. She shrugged off her heavy robe and sneered at Pansy. An angry red slash decorated her left shoulder, a trail of blood making its way down her arm until it dripped off her long fingers and onto the floor. Dee brought her hand up to her face and snarled when it came away sticky with blood. The last arrow had sliced across her cheek and had left a long but shallow cut along her cheekbone.

She glared at Pansy through slit silver eyes. "I hate pain." Dee hissed. She tossed her wand to her other hand and raised it slowly so that it pointed at Pansy's face. "I really, really hate pain.

The soft, dangerous tone in her voice caused Pansy to panic and she cast the first spell she thought of. "CRUCIO!" She hadn't meant to cast it, but her fear and desire to see the other girl go down had been too much She barely registered the horrified gasps of the other students and Draco's disapproving glare.

Dee's eyes widened in surprise as the sheer hatred behind the spell hit her full force. She barely managed to duck as the spell screamed over her head. She rolled forward, wincing at the pain it caused her shoulder, and to her feet, grabbing Pansy's arm, leaving bloody fingerprints on her skin, and forcing it to the side as she stepped close to the taller girl and pressed the tip of her ice wand to the base of her throat.

"I have a feeling that was not a very nice spell, Parkinson." Dee said as she narrowed her eyes. "In fact, I have a feeling that that's not the sort of spell you should be firing off at all." She pressed the tip of her wand against her skin and saw a glimmer of fear in Pansy's eyes.

The other girl shivered as the area immediately around the two of them dropped several degrees. Her eyes widened as her breaths came out in small puffs of mist and her eyes darted down to Dee's fearfully.

"A fight should be clean and elegant, Parkinson, without waste[8]." Dee plucked the other girl's wand from her limp fingers and stepped back. "Don't ever go into a fight without knowing your opponent. That's just asking to die." She gave her a toothy smile. "Let me show you what I could have done to you." She pointed her own wand at a nearby sofa. "Ignis glacialis[9]!" Pansy gasped as something tugged at her. For a moment, she felt empty, devoid of magic and she almost sobbed at the feeling of loss. But the feeling was gone in an instant.

A blaze of lightning blue engulfed the sofa. There were some startled shrieks as everyone cowered back from the brilliant flames that solidified almost instantaneously to encase the sofa. It glimmered in the firelight and one of the braver students touched it tentatively with her wand. It hit it with a faint chink and when nothing adverse happened, she touched it with her hand. She turned around with a look of complete amazement on her face.

"It's ice." Everyone turned back to look at Dee, but she had already left, her robe also gone. Pansy's wand lay at her feet.

Only one person had noticed the silver girl's exit and followed quietly in the midst of Pansy's resulting temper tantrum.

-----------------------

[1] Thank you

[2] Pleased to meet you.

[3] lit: numb

[4] Wet ice

[5] lit: to give back

[6] lit: break

[7] and [8] If you can guess where these lines comes from, I'll give you a special prize!

[9] Ice fire

I'd love to thank my lovely betas: **Lady LaCroix, Kivrin, beezy and lilypurewhite** for putting up with my incredible errors in both grammar and spelling, not to mention the problems with plot and presentation. Thanks a heap you guys!

****

And to the people who reviewed the last two chapters:

**Brennend**

**Rowan Wingfeather**

**thrnbrooke**

Tsuyuno 

**lucidity**

Thanks so much for reviewing!

Reviews and all are appreciated and everything!


	5. Reflection of myself

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**E-mail:**

**Summary:** When two worlds collide, having two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters can only mean trouble. But the reason for barriers between worlds becomes painfully apparent when magic meets magic, and familial duty wars with desire. Slash HPDM, het.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though).

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it.

Blah.thoughts

_Blah._ Writing

"Blah." Talking.

-----------------------------------------------

**Flip Side**

**Chapter Five: Reflection of myself**

Dee was not very happy. It was bad enough that she was feeling nauseous, but the stinging pain from her cuts was annoying her. She hated pain of any kind, especially the stinging kind. It brought a horrible feeling of dread to the forefront of her mind and she didn't like it. She scowled as she raised her hand and watched the blood dripping off her fingers and wrist. She sneered again and pressed her other hand against her shoulder. It wasn't a deep cut but it had been enough. She cursed her inability to cast a reasonable healing spell other than one for headaches and started off towards the stairs back up in the direction of the infirmary.

"Interesting display there." A smooth, cool voice said from the shadows.

"Of course. I live to entertain." Dee replied as she turned to see Draco sauntering towards her. She waited for him to catch up to her. "I hope you enjoyed the show.

"Indeed." His eyes flickered to her shoulder and cheek and he seemed to hesitate.

"I'm going to the infirmary." She replied to his unvoiced question.

"Hm. I-" He coughed and looked away. "If you want, I could fix it for you.

"Could you really? I'm not very good with healing spells. They tend to backfire." She said with a shrug, her expression slightly embarrassed at the admission.

"I've had a lot of experience with them." Draco murmured as he raised his wand.

Moments later, Dee inspected her shoulder and nodded with satisfaction. "Nicely done. Not even a mark left." She raised a hand to her face and fingered the smooth skin along her cheekbone.

"There's nothing there." Draco said, a note of smugness in his voice.

Dee shifted slightly, a gesture that was familiar to Draco only because it was something he did himself when he embarrassed or nervous. "Thank you. I wasn't really looking forward to wandering around the school bleeding.

"That would have caused a bit of a problem." Draco agreed. His eyes were hard as he regarded her carefully. "I hope this will not affect us in any way.

Dee tilted her head slightly away from him as she raised her hand and brushed her shoulder lightly. The fabric instantly mended and she gave Draco a sideways glance. She twirled her robe back onto her shoulder smoothly and turned back to face him. His face was hard, determined, and she knew what he wanted to know. "You're wondering if I'm going to tell anyone about Pansy." It was a statement, not a question.

Draco wasn't particularly fond of Pansy, but if she were exposed, the rest of them would be too. Pansy was not one to go down alone. He would not allow everyone to fall because of her foolishness. He nodded stiffly and straightened himself in an intimidating fashion. He was considerably taller than Dee and intended to use it to his advantage.

The female Malfoy regarded him thoughtfully. She saw pride in him, great pride. He was obviously someone who was used to getting his own way, regardless of who he had to step on to get it. But despite this, she saw a greater concern in his eyes. Were his actions completely selfish?

She shrugged. "What would I have to gain if I told? I'd only make myself an outcast.

Draco narrowed his eyes slightly. She wasn't going to tell? Just like that? She wasn't going to ask for something in return for her silence? She had to baiting him. "What do you want for your silence?

"Some tea and biscuits would be nice." Dee replied smoothly.

His eyes widened in disbelief. "Excuse me?" Did she just say what he thought she did?

She smiled at him serenely, as though she asked for tea and biscuits after every duel she had. "I'm a little hungry and thirsty." She was thoroughly enjoying the bewildered look on his face. He looked just like her father did after she managed to dupe him into giving her something he had previously refused her. A pang of homesickness washed over her but she pushed it away.

"Very well." Draco drew out the words slowly as he tried to figure her out.

"Besides," she gave him a warm smile, "you fixed up my arm and face. I won't have scars now. For that, I'm grateful.

He shifted slightly, mimicking her restless movement from before, and looked away. He'd never been thanked so plainly before. He looked down at her, his eyes softening in curiosity. "I've never heard of _Ignis glacialis_ before.

Dee shrugged in reply to his obvious change in subject. "It's a specialty of mine.

"I see. So tell me, what exactly did Professor Snape mean by Ôother world'?

"Ah, that. Well, that might take time to explain. And some place less open.

Draco looked around them and had to agree. It would only be a matter of time before the other Slytherins made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. He paused, unsure as to whether or not it would be safe to be alone with her. He stared deeply into her eyes. A Malfoy's eyes were the key to his or her soul, as clichŽd as it may have sounded. The slightest flickers between shades of grey could mean a lie or a lightening or darkening of shades signalled a change of emotion. He leant closer, something he knew intimidated people but she didn't back down and stared calmly back. There was not a single flicker.

"Indeed." Draco finally drawled as he stepped back from her. He cast about in his mind for a place that would grant them privacy. "Perhaps my Prefect rooms would be best for this discussion?

"They should be fine.

Draco nodded and turned again. "Come with me." Dee followed him curiously as he walked down the corridor to another small hallway near the Potions classroom. He turned sharply and disappeared into the shadows. Dee blinked in surprise. That wasn't there in her dungeons. Her prefect rooms were connected to her uncle's office and the dungeon common room.

"Come along." Draco's voice was impatient as a slender white hand beckoned her into the shadows.

Mentally shrugging, Dee stepped forward and disappeared from sight. She was met by a large sitting room with a large, plush looking sofa and a pair of smaller arm chairs. It was rather warm looking, despite the dark stonewalls. Draco flicked his wand towards the large fireplace and it roared to life. He unclasped his robe and hung it up on a rack near the doorway. He moved behind Dee and as she unclasped hers and hung it up for her. Dee gave him a small smile of amusement and appreciation and he gave her a nod. He sat down in one of the armchairs and gestured towards the other one. He kept his wand in his hand and rested it lightly on his knee. She noticed that he kept her in his sight and his wand at the ready. Dee nodded mentally in approval. It paid to be careful.

"Please, sit.

"Thank you." Dee crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap.

"Tea?" Draco made gesture with his hand and a house-elf appeared with a tray. It squeaked once before disappearing.

"Yes, please." Dee nodded in relief knowing that the tea would help calm her stomach. She took the delicate china cup from Draco as he handed it to her and sipped lightly. "I see you like cinnamon as well." She murmured with a small smile.

Draco seemed surprised by the warmth she was showing him and nodded quickly. "Yes, I prefer it to sugar.

"It must be nice to have your own rooms." Dee said in the silence that followed. "I know I enjoy having my own rooms. As much as I enjoy the company of my friends, there's only so much I can take of it.

Draco nodded slightly in agreement. "I prefer the quiet it affords me.

"Exactly. I had to bribe my uncle to allow me to have my own rooms.

"Your uncle?" Draco knew his father had no siblings.

"Yes, my Uncle Severus.

Draco hastily swallowed his mouthful of tea. "Severus is your uncle?

"Yes. I can only assume he's not your's here." Dee murmured.

"No, he's my Godfather.

"Ah. He's mine as well. He's my father's half brother.

"Half brother?

"Yes. Tell me, was your grandfather married to a woman named Florence Dancer?

"Yes." He replied slowly, wondering where this was leading.

"So was my grandfather. However, he never loved her, though they did get on rather well." Draco nodded. His grandfather had never seemed to be very fond of his grandmother. Then again, she had died soon after Lucius had been born. "Grandfather Lucifer kept a mistress named Lucinda Snape. She was very beautiful and a very good friend of Grandmother Florence, who was quite happy to leave them to each other. Sadly, Grandmother Florence died soon after father turned three years old. However, due to Grandmother Lucinda's... nature, she and Grandfather Lucifer were unable to marry. But she and Grandfather Lucifer had Severus five and a half years after father was born.

"Her nature?

"Grandmother Lucinda is a vampire.

"A vampire?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Yes. Quite. She's the last of her clan.

"I see..." Draco said slowly. "But vampires can't have children.

"Why not?

"They're the undead. Undead cannot give life." He replied with a small frown.

"Oh, I see. That's how your vampires are. Ours are different. They're quite alive. Vampires are born like normal humans where we're from. The only differences between then and humans are that they drink blood to survive and that they have preternatural strength, speed and agility. Oh, and they burst into flames when exposed to sunlight. They can also eat normal food, but they can't live on it. They also have heightened senses of smell and hearing. They're a bit like werewolves in that sense. Of course, they're very rare. It's very hard for a vampire to breed, especially with a human.

"Oh. So your uncle is a half vampire?

"Yes. Grandfather Lucifer fully acknowledges him as one of his own children. He and father are very close.

"Father and Severus are very close here too." At least, that's how Draco saw it. You could never be too sure with his father.

"What difference does being a half-blood and a full blooded vampire make?

Dee tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Ah, now that's an interesting question. Firstly, half-vampires are not exactly as powerful as their full-blooded kin. They tend to have watered down versions of their powers. There are exceptions, however, in the cases where the other half of their genes is from another non-human entity like Veelas or Sirens.

"What about your uncle? He's half human.

"Half human vampires don't _need_ blood to live. They can live on just human food, but they aren't exactly in the best of health if they do. Most half human vampires tend to have watered down blood every now and then on a regular basis in order to stay healthy.

Draco leant forward curiously. "Do they still have the same powers?

"To an extent. They do have a weaker version of Charm that full-blooded vampires have. They can't exactly pull people under, but they can influence them to an extent.

His lips twitched slightly. "So your uncle is... charming?" The mere thought of his Godfather smiling and amiable was enough to make him laugh out loud.

She laughed out loud, the sound echoing pleasantly around the room. "Oh no! Uncle is as acerbic as a heavy duty cleaning potion." At Draco's raised eyebrow, she shrugged. "Uncle doesn't feel the need to influence people. He's more likely to verbally beat them into submission.

Well, at least some things were the same. "Does he turn into a bat?

Dee's amused smile made him feel silly and he felt an uncharacteristic flush rise up his face.

"No, but that's why a lot of Muggles think. Most vampires who are Animagi turn into bats, crows, ravens or other black and more foreboding creatures, but uncle isn't an Animagi. But he does have a pet raven. Beautiful bird, Phobos." She sighed.

"Does he ever get the urge to feed on other humans?

"Sometimes, but he has his ways of getting what he needs." A soft, mysterious smile graced her features and she winked at him in a conspiratorial manner before going back to her explanation. "His kind are more less likely to attack in a blind frenzy of bloodlust, but if you get them angry, threaten them or their own, or if they're feeling a little...," she paused and then grinned, "frisky, you're more likely to get bitten. Though, depending on which situation you're in, you have different chances of survival.

He gave her a small smile at her last comment and thought back to the stories he used to read as a child. "I see. Does he cling to ceiling and walk on walls?

She nodded. "He likes to scare people by falling from the ceiling or some other unexpected movement. He has a habit of appearing out of the shadows right next to you. It's rather funny watching people jump when he does that." She smiled wistfully.

"Can he walk in the sun?

"Ah, yes, a definite advantage for being a half-blood. He can walk in the day like other people. He just doesn't like it. That's the problem with being part vampire; they're very sensitive to light. It doesn't turn them to ash like being a full-blooded vampire would, but their eyes and skin are very sensitive. That's why he wears such thick and long robes. Then again, he does look very good and intimidating in them. He terrifies all the First Years and quite a few in the years above.

"He teaches? Even though he's a vampire?

"Half." She corrected him firmly. "And it's not that bad. People don't really mind too much if Dark Creatures are teachers, even public servants. It's a matter of control. There are those with it, and those without. They're not going to condemn an entire race for the mistakes of a few.

Draco squirmed slightly, remembering Professor Lupin and swallowed uncomfortably. "But what if something were to happen? What if one of the students angered him?

"My uncle is not a monster. He has more control than that." Dee said coldly, her eyes narrow.

Draco flinched as a sudden chill washed over him and he breathed out and jerked back in surprise at the burst of fog that followed. He gave her a nervous glance as he realised that perhaps angering her was not the best thing. "I didn't mean to upset you." He said hastily.

She blinked and suddenly, everything warmed and he rubbed his knee. "I'm sorry, I just get a bit defensive about my family. Besides, he doesn't even like the taste of blood on most occasions.

"Oh." Draco said at the sudden change in attitude. She seemed quite mercurial. "How about your mother? How is she?" He asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Oh, mother is well enough. She's a Veela." She tilted her head. "It would be rather hypocritical of me to be judgemental of uncle considering I'm not completely human myself.

Draco nodded in understanding. "My mother's a Veela too. She's very beautiful.

"Yes, I look like my mother." Dee smiled shamelessly.

"Yes, you look a lot like mother, but warmer." He looked surprised at his words but Dee's pleased smile was nice. Draco tilted his head in a familiar manner. "You have her face, but father's colouring.

"Yes, a Malfoy's first born always has the silver hair and eyes.

Draco nodded in agreement. "Very true. It's the mark of the Malfoy Heir.

"You have father's strong features, but mother's eye lashes." Dee said with a small smile.

Draco didn't take offence, having heard it before and gave her a small smile in return. "At least I don't have her lips. They're a little too pink for a boy.

Dee let out a soft laugh. "Indeed. You're very handsome, Draco.

"And you're very beautiful." He replied with an answering chuckle.

They sat in a comfortable silence as they sipped at their tea. Draco unconsciously compared the girl sitting opposite him to his mother. His mother had hardly ever shown him any warmth and in his most whimsical moments, he had compared her to the ice sculptures that had always been at every party in the Malfoy manor. When his mother smiled, it never reached her cool blue eyes, but when Dee smiled, it lit up her face and softened her features into an approachable expression. As he watched her carefully select a biscuit from the tray and stir her tea, he just knew that she wasn't nearly as cold as she appeared to be.

"What's it like in your world?" Draco asked to break the silence.

Dee looked thoughtful for a moment as she put her thoughts into words. "It's not too different from this one, from what little I've seen anyway. Magic seems to be much more abundant though. There's a definite difference in magic. In my world, there are several layers of magic, each one attuned to a specific magic type. However, here, there's only one layer.

"Different layers?? What magic types?

"Magic types define what kind of magic you can use. In my world there are no wizards or witches.

"But-" Draco broke in with disbelief written all over his face.

Dee raised her hand. "There are no wizards or witches, but there are mages. We control the elements and their related properties.

"The elements." Draco murmured. "As in earth, fire, wind and water?

"Yes. There are six types of magic that we can wield: Fire, Water, Air, Verdant, Earth and Shadow.

"What type are you?

She smiled slowly and tilted her head with a teasing smile. "Can you guess?

Draco eyed her carefully. He remembered reading about the elements when he was a child, a long time ago. He watched her body language; the relaxed posture with the sharp eyes and easy manner. He remembered her spells; all of them had been related to ice or water. It was an easy guess. "Water.

"Correct. I'm a Water mage, one of the most powerful of my generation." She said proudly. "J.P., the boy who came here with me, is a Fire mage, and like me, he is also one of the most powerful of his kind, if he could learn some more control. He tends to make things explode.

"Ah." Draco replied. "What about everyone else? Are they in your world too?

"Of course." She smirked in amusement.

"So whom do you usually spend your time with?" He asked.

"Pansy, Blaise, Greg, Vince, J.P, Ron, Mione. They are my Court.

Draco gave her a startled glance. "What? You associate with Gryffindors? Voluntarily?

"There are no Houses where I'm from. We don't have the same prejudices as you do. We all get along marvellously.

"But they're Gryffindors." Draco sneered. "They're nothing but a bunch of Muggle-loving goody-goodies. They're pathetic.

"I heard they were meant to be the courageous House." Dee demurred. "Muggles aren't really that bad. Some can be annoying and dull-witted, but there are others who are very intelligent and quite interesting. They're not all bad. Just... some." Dee thought specifically of both Harry's disgusting cousin and uncle as well as Hermione's kind parents.

Draco gaped at her. A Malfoy defending Muggles? "Are you crazy?

"No, but I'll bet you've never spent any time with them, have you?" She questioned lightly.

Draco scowled darkly. "They're not worth the effort. They're inferior and stupid." He disagreed.

"Mm." She murmured nonchalantly. Dee didn't want to get into this discussion. She had it enough times with her father. Muggles weren't exactly well liked by most purebloods, hence the problem with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Dee shivered and clenched her hands in her lap to stop it.

"Gryffindor's don't seem too bad." Dee said to take Draco off of Muggles.

"They're show-offs." Draco snapped. "They're not worth your time.

"J.P was sorted into Gryffindor." Dee replied. "He's definitely a show-off. And courageous.

"What is this J.P to you?" Draco asked suspiciously.

"He is my lover." Dee replied honestly. "I do believe, however, that his counterpart here is Harry Potter, just as you are my counterpart here.

"Harry Potter?!" Draco bellowed in surprise. He shot to his feet. "Your lover is Harry Potter?

"Indeed." Dee murmured and sat back against the back of the armchair as she watched Draco wave his arms around his head as he began a rather interesting diatribe about Potter's faults. It seemed that his dislike for the boy went back a long time, not to mention bordered on obsession. It was interesting, the way that his eyes lit up with passion whenever he mentioned the brunette's name. The vast majority of his annoyance stemmed from the fact the boy was a Gryffindor. But Dee had a feeling it went beyond that. There was an underlying tone of hurt, which made Dee wonder. Was that jealousy she could hear?

"And like I said, I never grew up with that sort of distinction." Dee replied patiently, interrupting him in mid-rant. "I don't know what it means to have Houses. All I know is that they are my friends.

"It's your choice." Draco sneered but moved on. "What other kinds of magic does your... Court use?

"Ah, Blaise uses Shadow magic. Ron and J.P are Fire mages, Pansy is a Wind mage, Mione is Verdant and Vince and Greg are both Earth mages.

Draco barely managed to stop himself from sneering at the affectionate name she used for Granger and Weasely. "Shadow? What do they do?

"A shadow mage is what is more commonly known as a necromancer.

"So he raises the dead? I thought that all necromancers were evil.

"Not quite. Shadow magic is not evil; good or bad people can use it. However, it requires a great deal of control and skill to be able to wield it effectively. It deals mostly with curses, hexes and other painful sorts of spells and effects. They're also surprisingly good at arithmancy and astronomy. They do have powers over the dead, but not spirits, and tend to be able to summon a whole horde of creatures to do their bidding. Shadows also follow their command and they have the ability to Shadow Walk, which is basically moving through shadows. They have a tendency to be looked at in a negative light, as many of their spells are quite malicious and often permanent. However, they are very respected people.

"So they could go around raising the dead and creating armies of zombies?

"They could if they're powerful enough, but not many ever will be. My Blaise is powerful, but not that powerful yet. Uncle can though. If the desire should ever strike him.

"I see." Draco murmured thoughtfully.

"I think the differences between our worlds is interesting. I mean; I'm a girl. You're a boy." Dee titled her head. "Similar people, but different circumstances. Interesting, don't you think?

Draco nodded slowly. "It is, quite. What about Water mages? What can you do?

Dee leant back with a soft smile. "Throughout history, water has always been associated with unpredictability, extrasensory perception, change and control. We can control water as well as ice. Water magic is probably the subtlest type of magic, but it is by no means less destructive. We use a lot of illusionary magic as well as Potions and stealth." Dee gave them a smile that made them shiver slightly. "Many Water mages become assassins because of that.

"We are well known for our divination abilities, skills in Potions, Transfiguration and Charms. However, we are best known for our incredible powers in the areas pertaining to Occlumency and Legilemency." Dee shook her head at the gleam that entered the eyes of her companions. "Don't get me wrong, we are powerful, but many of us are not as powerful as you would think. In fact, we're the only type of mages that cannot fully master our own type. Most Water mages can only specialise in one or two of the categories I just mentioned. But there are some who can master all Water magic.

"Are you one of them?

Dee looked pleased at his question. "Oh no, but I'm flattered you think so." She let out a laugh. "I'm still young, I have a long way to go. But I am quite good at Potions, Transfiguration and Charms. I'm very partial to Potions though; it's my best subject. I haven't quite got the hang of either Legilemency or Occlumency yet.

"What's your mother's type? She's not a Water mage too, is she?

"No, Maman is an Air mage.

"What are they good at?

"Like Water, Air magic is closely associated with change, however, it is also linked to communication, spirituality and purification. Air mages specialise in defensive magic as well as healing and runes. Most Air mages are Healers or Protectors, but there are many who become Priests/Priestesses or Clerics. They are well known for being able to create magical objects and transferring magic between people. They do quite well in Potions, Charms and Divination, though not quite to the extent that Water mages do. Air mages can manipulate the wind, hence their skill at flying, and are often very skilled in music.

"What's your mother? Is she a Healer?

"No, Maman is a Protector. They're a bit like Aurors, in a sense. You do have Aurors, right?" At Draco's nod, she continued. "Protectors are the ones that set up protective wards and spells on people and places, both public and private. She works for the Ministry of Magic.

"She works for the Ministry? Who's the Minister of Magic? Don't tell me it's that bumbling fool Fudge." Draco muttered the last sentence.

Dee laughed and shook her head. "Oh no, Fudge was thrown out of office years ago. He was definitely one of the worst choices they had ever made. The current Minister is my father.

"Your father is the Minister?

"Isn't yours?

"No. My father has not been able to secure that position for himself." Draco looked away as he thought about just where his father was.

Dee titled her head as she watched his eyes darken. "I see. Well, my father is the Minister. He works very hard and is a very respected man.

"I can only hope father will be minister himself, soon." Draco replied. "What about... J.P? What is he?" There was a slight curl of distaste but the curiosity was obvious.

"Destructive, very destructive. Fire magic is chaotic and highly volatile. Most Fire mages take years upon years to gain control over it in order to properly use it. It deals mostly with fire, lava and lightning. It's a very deadly combination. Unlike the other types of magic, Fire has almost no protective spells but their offensive spells are the most powerful of them all. Most fire mages are impulsive and very emotional people, and, unlike other types of magic users, tend to become very involved in the spells they cast. They can become quite sadistic on the battlefield; the more destruction they cause, the more satisfaction and pleasure they feel." Dee paused. "As such, I suggest you do not get J.P. angry. Ever. Even I wouldn't be able to protect you if you did. There's only so much I can do.

"Is he ever violent towards you?" Draco asked sharply. He belatedly wondered why he should care.

Dee raised an eyebrow. "J.P. has never physically hurt me, if that's what you're asking. He has more control than that.

"I see." Draco murmured as he slowly uncurled his fingers from the fists they had been in when he has asked his question. "What about their strengths? What are they?

"Fire mages excel in Charms, Transfiguration and DADA. Suffice to say, they are very good at causing havoc. Fire magic is the most unstable type of magic and a good Fire mage is never out of job.

"Vince and Greg are Earth mages." Dee said to change the subject. "The characteristics of Earth magic are stability and power. As the name suggests, the earth itself responds to them. They can cause localised earthquakes, fissures, lowering or rising of the ground and plain old avalanches. They tend to be quite good at Transfiguration and history. While most of their spells are offensive, their defensive repertoire is almost as large as Air. They are quite nurturing and rather gentle, despite what their spells suggest. They're also incredibly loyal and hard working. A bit like your Hufflepuffs." Dee said with amusement.

Draco let out a snicker as he imagined Crabbe and Goyle in Hufflepuff.

"Verdant magic is the most centred of all magic types. They concentrate on plants and animals. As you can obviously tell, they outclass everyone else at Herbology and Care for Magical Creatures. Generally, they use a lot of protective and healing magic, but they can be extremely vicious in a fight. Most of their offensive spells involve impaling their opponent on vines or ripping them to pieces with razor sharp leaves. Their love and affinity for nature make it hard for them to harm other living beings but like all people, they have their limits. They work very well with Earth mages and it's quite common for them to work together in battle as well as in every day life.

"That's quite detailed." Draco commented. "You have a way with words. You should have been in Ravenclaw.

"Perhaps. But I don't particularly enjoy sitting down for long periods of time studying. But I do enjoy listening to my own voice." Dee replied with a shameless shrug. She grinned. "But I love talking about magic more than anything.

"I noticed." Draco grinned back at her.

She tilted her head and gave him a considering look. "Out of sheer curiosity, what was that spell that Parkinson cast at me?

Draco stiffened. "That was the Cruciatus Curse. It's one of the Unforgivables.

"Unforgivables?

Draco suddenly realised that she would have no idea what he was talking about. "There are three spells which are illegal to cast on another person. The Killing Curse, the Cruciatus Curse and the Imperius Curse.

"What is the penalty for casting them?

"Azkaban." Draco shuddered and clenched a fist.

Dee frowned. "Azkaban. I see. A prison, isn't it? There's an Azkaban in my world." She shivered. "What do those curses do?

"The Imperius Curse grants the caster complete control over the person they cast it on. They can make them do whatever they want.

"No one can resist it?

"Those with a strong will can throw off its effects, but it's very hard.

"I see. What about the Cruciatus Curse?

"It causes the victim to suffer unimaginable pain. It can drive you insane if you're exposed to it for too long." Draco knew what it felt like, and he knew there was no way to ever become used to its agonising effects.

"How inelegant." Dee murmured with a small frown. "What about the Killing Curse? I assume it kills the victim.

"It kills the victim instantly." Draco said softly. He'd seen it cast before, the emerald green of it reminding him of something else entirely. He shook himself with a flash of self-disgust.

"Such unpleasant spells." Dee said as she laid her hands down on her lap.

"They have their uses." Drace said with a pragmatic shrug. "There are times when they are the only spells that will work.

"True, true." Dee agreed. She knew that sometimes, a battle could not be fought with spells deemed to be acceptable. There was always a time and place for everything. Even curses as despicable as Unforgivables.

Draco eyed her carefully. She had agreed with him without even trying to persuade him into thinking that magic shouldn't be abused like that. "You don't think that those spells are wrong?

"Oh, I never said that, Draco," she gave him an even look, "I just know what you mean. There is always a time and place for every spell, even if they aren't meant to be used." She paused. "Spells are not a laughing matter; the manipulation of energy is something that cannot be taken lightly. However, I don't think that the Unforgivables can be cast by just anyone.

Draco nodded. "You have to want it to make it happen. If they're cast without the desire behind it, they fizzle out.

"I see. Like wand magic, the power of a mage is determined by their will and desire for the spell to work. There's very little a reluctant and spineless person, let alone mage, can do." She watched as Draco nodded slowly in agreement. "And just like wand magic, it can be used for good or evil. No type of magic is defined as good or bad. The user's intent is what defines it.

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AN:

Hiyas!

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! It took a while to get out, but it did. Eventually. LOL The next chapter won't be coming out until at least next month, sorry! I started the next semester of uni so I don't have that much time to spare. But don't worry! I'll keep writing, no worries!

Firstly, as always, I need to thank my delightful and helpful betas: **Lady LaCroix, Kivrin, beezy and lilypurewhite**. Thanks so much you guys!

Now, onto the fantabulous people who reviewed!

**Squifi:** blushes Thanks a lot! I'm glad you enjoyed the story. I quite liked writing it! You're so nice! I love you! huggles Yeah, I find fics where the genders are switched a little funny sometimes, and most of the time, everyone's OOC! I thought I'd give a hand at it myself, just to see if I could do better. LOL If you want a great story where the genders are switched, I seriously suggest Opposite of Sex by DaDomz. It's a fantabulous story! It's archived here on so it's not too hard to find. Actually, it's on my favourites list. LOL Again thanks for your compliments! They were very appreciated!

**MishapsErrors:** I hope you read the rest! LOL

**Tsuyuno:** LOL Yeah, Dee's great! I wish I were as cool as her, no pun intended. LOL

**Lucidity:** Thanks a lot for the compliments! It took me a while to get the fight between Dee and Pansy right (you'd know! LOL). Thanks a lot!

**Mara202:** LOL Thanks for the review! Dee is very cool, then again, that's only cuz she's like Draco, who is also very cool. Go Slytherins! LOL

**Tani Barton:** Yeah, I'm glad I rewrote it. It's so much nicer now (blatant egotism here LOL). But thanks for the review and kind comments! I really appreciated them.

**Thrnbrooke:** Ah yes! You picked up on it! And you know exactly who it is! winks Thanks a lot for the review! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**Brenna8:** LOL Yes, J.P's meeting will go a lot better than Dee's, considering he's with the Gryffs. I won't have the next chapter up until at least next month though, sorry! In the mean time, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

If I missed anyone, I'm sincerely sorry, but know that I appreciate your review and hope that you enjoyed this chapter.

Unfortunately, none of you picked out where those two lines were from! waggled her finger at them then blinks Er, then again, maybe you've never seen those two animes... But now matter! It's all good. Just curious to see if anyone could figure out who I was ripping lines from. LOL

Remember, if anyone wants me to e-mail them when I update, all you have to do is e-mail me with the request and I'd be more than happy to.

Take care, savvy? Until I post again! LOL


	6. Do tell

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**E-mail:**

**Summary:** When two worlds collide, having two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters can only mean trouble. But the reason for barriers between worlds becomes painfully apparent when magic meets magic, and familial duty wars with desire. Slash HPDM, het.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though).

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it.

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**Flip Side**

**Chapter Six: Do tell**

J.P. rubbed a hand through his hair as he and McGonagall stopped in front of a large portrait of a fat woman.

"What has young Potter gotten himself into this time, professor?" The portrait asked. J.P. raised an eyebrow at it before looking at his Head of House.

"Nothing. Quidditch pitch." McGonagall replied curtly as she said the password. The portrait swung open with a sigh and they stepped into the room.

"Professor-" A pale boy that J.P. vaguely recognised as Colin Creevy greeted the professor but then paused and stared at J.P. with wide eyes. He twisted around and looked towards the sofa in front of the fireplace and then back, a perplexed expression on his face.

J.P. followed his gaze and saw a startled brunette looking back at him. Well, it was that other Harry Potter. He raised a hand and waved. The boy blinked before tentatively waving back.

"All right everyone." McGonagall waited until everyone was paying attention to her, or at least gaping at J.P. "I'm sure you are all aware of the incident down in the dungeons yesterday." There was a spattering of chatter but McGonagall's stern look quietened them down quickly. "This is Harry Potter.

"Harry Potter?

"Another one?

"Where's his scar?

"What happened yesterday?

"You weren't listening to me? I knew it!

"Quiet!" McGonagall said firmly. "As I said, his name is Harry Potter. However, for convenience's sake, he's to be called J.P.

J.P.'s lips twisted in a grimace before they settled back into a good-natured expression with a mental shrug. At least it was better than Harry James.

"I trust that you will make him feel welcomed." She said. A soft pop to her side made her look down to see a house-elf. "What is it?

"Headmaster Dumbledore would like to speak with you." It squeaked out.

"Very well, I shall be there in a moment." It nodded and disappeared with another pop. She turned back to the assembled students and nodded. "That is all." She left J.P. rubbing his neck and giving them all a sheepish smile.

"Er, hi there." He said. He waggled his fingers in a wave and then sighed when everyone continued to stare at him. "Fair enough," he muttered before striding across the room and throwing himself down into the seat opposite his counterpart. He gave the boy a brilliant smile. "Hello there. You must be Harry Potter.

"Yeah, that's me." Harry replied cautiously. Harry gave him a quick inspection and noted that the other boy was a little taller and bulkier than himself, and his hair was a little longer and spiked at the front, away from his forehead. He wasn't wearing any glasses and he had a calm and relaxed expression on his face.

"Well, pleased to meet you." J.P. said. "Why do you need glasses?" J.P. could never be described as subtle or shy.

"Er, I'm short sighted.

"Why don't you get it fixed? I did.

Harry blinked at the boy's bluntness and gave Ron and Hermione a look, which they returned. Well, Hermione did. Ron was still gaping at J.P. "Oh, well, I don't know. I guess I've gotten used to wearing glasses.

"Fair enough." J.P. replied and sprawled on the seat since no one seemed to want to sit near him, or were too busy twittering about him.

"So, um..." Harry began awkwardly. There was a silence and J.P. rolled his eyes.

"I know you're dying to ask me something." J.P. nodded towards Hermione who looked like she was about to explode.

"Are you from another world?" She burst out. Ron and Harry leant away from her madly shining face.

"Yeah. I guess so. It would explain a lot of things." J.P. replied indulgently.

"Really? That's incredible! What's your world like? How did you end up here? Wha-

"Hold on a sec," J.P. said in amusement when she started asking questions, "one question at a time. To answer your first question, my world's pretty similar to this one, from what I've seen so far. It definitely feels different, but it looks relatively the same.

"What do you mean by it feels different?" Her face had lost none of its enthusiasm, but she had calmed down a bit.

"Well, it just feels a little less... I don't know, calmer? Do you know what I mean?" J.P. shrugged at their confused frowns. "It's hard to explain. It's a bit like living in water and then suddenly being forced to live on the surface. Get what I mean?

"Kind of." Hermione said slowly as she looked at him thoughtfully.

J.P. held up his hands with an apologetic smile on his face. "I really can't explain it any better. That's the best way I can describe it. I'm not particularly good with words.

Hermione pursed her lips thoughtfully before asking another question. "How did you get here?

"Oh, well, I was kinda finishing off a fight when someone threw something at my girlfriend. I grabbed her and well... we ended up here." Again, he shrugged. "I don't actually know what happened.

Hermione's face fell. "Oh.

"But I can tell you that we don't have Houses where I'm from. So this House thing is all a bit new to me.

Hermione perked up immediately. "No Houses? Why not?

"I didn't really pay attention when we were being told," J.P. admitted sheepishly. "Something about a fight between Slytherin and Gryffindor in the 1700s and the Headmaster got fed up with it and abolished the Houses in an attempt to get rid of the House rivalry.

"Did it work?

"I guess so. We just have the normal fights between groups and all that. It's not too bad, most of the time." J.P.'s eyes darkened as he remembered Mcnair.

"Why don't you have a scar?" Ron asked before Hermione could find another question.

"Why would I have a scar?" J.P. asked. He looked over at Harry questioningly.

"Because Harry has one." Ron replied.

"Just because he's Harry Potter too, doesn't mean that he had the same life." Hermione said. "Remember, they're from different worlds.

"Oh.

"Why do you have a scar?" J.P. asked Harry.

Harry's hand flew to his forehead and he rubbed at it. "I got it from the Killing Curse.

"The Killing Curse? Why aren't you dead?" He was met by silence and winced. Obviously, he'd put his foot in it. "Sorry.

"It's okay." Harry replied with a strained smile. "So what do you do in your world for fun?" That seemed like a safe enough question.

"Play Quidditch." J.P. replied almost immediately. He gave Harry a scrutinising look. "You play Quidditch too?

"Yeah, I'm the Seeker for Gryffindor's team.

"Seeker, huh? What's that like?

"You're not a Seeker?" Ron asked in surprise. He was still under the impression that J.P. should be exactly like Harry.

"No, I'm a Chaser. You get a lot more action that way. I'm not particularly patient and I don't think I could stand just flying around waiting for the snitch to pop up.

"Oh. I always thought being a Seeker was great." Harry replied with a shrug.

"To each their own, I suppose. I tried being a Seeker for a while but Dee said I was atrocious and made me the Chaser.

"Who's Dee?

"Oh, she's that girl that came with me. She's my girlfriend.

"Oh. Is she nice? Why isn't she here?" Hermione asked.

"She was sorted into Slytherin." He jumped in surprise when Ron cursed.

"Slytherin?! But they're all evil gits!

"Dee's hardly evil." J.P. corrected himself after a pause. "Well, okay, not completely evil. She can be evil when she wants to be.

Ron gaped at him. "You're dating a Slytherin!

"What's wrong with that?

"A Gryffindor does not date a Slytherin! It's not done!" Ron replied adamantly as though it should be obvious to him.

J.P. gave him a bewildered look at his answer, "Well, she wasn't a Slytherin when I met her.

"But she's evil! Only evil people get sorted into Slytherin!

"She's not evil." J.P. replied with a little irritation. He paused and gave them a curious look. "What kind of characteristics would put her into Slytherin, anyway?

"She would have to have a lot of ambition, cunning and willing to use all the resources at her disposal," Hermione replied promptly.

J.P. rubbed his chin and nodded. "Yeah, that's pretty much her. She wants to be an Auror when she finishes school. She's the top of our Year and always has been and she's fiercely competitive." He chuckled and rubbed his shoulder as though he was remembering something. "She absolutely hates to lose.

"All Slytherins are evil." Ron repeated. "If I were you, I'd find a different girlfriend.

The look J.P. gave him could have burst the red head into flames, indeed, it seemed as though his look alone was enough to raise the temperature noticeably, J.P. scowled at him, his lips twitching slightly. "Hell no. She's mine. I'm not going to let her go for anything, or anyone.

Ron had opened his mouth to answer back, but Hermione elbowed him in the ribs. He coughed and scowled at his own girlfriend but she ignored him. The fiercely possessive tone in J.P.'s voice made her curious about Dee, but it also showed that it was a sore topic with J.P.

Harry coughed and spoke up before anything else relating to Slytherins and Gryffindors could be said. "Do you want to talk somewhere more private?" He didn't feel all that comfortable with everyone staring at him the way they were.

J.P. looked around and shrugged. He never really minded attention. "If you want.

Harry nodded. "Okay. Mione, Ron, do you mind if I talk with J.P. alone?" The two shook their heads slowly, albeit reluctantly, and the pair made their way out of the common room, J.P. paused on the threshold and threw a wink at their audience just as the portrait swung shut behind him. A roar of speculation and excitement followed their departure.

Harry smiled slightly as he raised an eyebrow at J.P. as he chortled at the reaction he'd garnered. The boy was certainly more of an exhibitionist than himself. That was one difference that was obvious.

Harry cleared his throat and decided to start with simple, innocuous questions first. "Are you in Sixth Year too?

"Yeah, I can't wait for it all to be over.

"Me either." Harry replied with a smile. "I don't know what I want to do after. Maybe I'll be an Auror.

"I want to be an Auror too. My Dad's an Auror.

Harry stopped dead in his tracks and stared at him. "Your father's alive?

"Yes." J.P. paused. "Your's isn't?

A feeling of injustice shot through him and Harry berated himself. It wasn't J.P.'s fault his parents were still alive and his weren't. "Mine died a long time ago.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know." J.P. said with a grimace. "I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories.

"No, no, it's all right. You didn't know." Harry gave him a sad smile. "So how are they? Your parents?

"Yeah. Dad's doing fine. So is Mom." J.P. looked away, feeling guilty about his answer as he watched the pain flare in Harry's eyes.

"I see." Harry sighed deeply. "Tell me about them.

"Are you sure?" J.P. asked.

"I'm sure. It would be nice to hear something, anything, about them. Even if they aren't really mine." He gave the other boy a sad smile. "It's better than nothing.

J.P. nodded in understanding. "What do you want to know?

"What do they do for a living?

"Dad's an Auror and Mom works at a Herbology research centre. Dad wants me to be an Auror too and I wouldn't mind.

"So what does your Dad do when he's not working?

"He usually putters around in the shed after work trying to fix something broken. He doesn't usually end up fixing it, it's usually worse by the time he's through." J.P. chuckled. "He's a Ôbudding inventor', as he puts it. Mom spends almost of her time in the garden.

"Oh." Longing flooded through Harry and he stopped by the large tree near the lake. He leant his head back against the trunk with a deep sigh. Tears pricked his eyes as he imagined himself in a situation like J.P.'s, a family, one that loved him. What he wouldn't give for that.

J.P. seemed to sense his sadness and cleared his throat, changing the subject. "Then who looks after you, when you're not here?

"The Dursleys.

J.P's face twisted in annoyance and disgust. "You have to stay with them?

"They're not nice where you are, either?

"Hardly. Oh, Aunt Petunia's nice enough, but Dudley and Vernon are about as friendly as..." J.P. bit off what would probably have been very rude. "Let's just say I don't like them.

"I see.

"They insulted Dee." J.P. clarified. "They hurt her feelings.

"Oh. What did they say to her?

J.P scowled at the memory but then snickered as he remembered what Dee had done in retaliation. "Uncle Vernon and Dudley called her an albino freak who was probably the result of incest. She got them back though. She covered Dudley with snow and left him like a snowman for almost an hour. She only turned him back when her mother insisted that it wasn't polite. She froze Uncle Vernon's feet to the ground. He kept bellowing about how she was going to turn him into an iceman like that guy on TV. The guy they found in the Alps.

"That would have been fun to watch." Harry commented with a small smile.

"I'll say. They never bothered her again.

"I can imagine." Harry replied. He furrowed his brow in thought. "Just how different is your world than this one?

"Not much really. Dee would be able to tell you more, she has a knack for noticing things.

"What's the biggest difference you've noticed?

"Well, the wand magic for one. I just don't understand how a piece of wood is supposed to help you.

Harry blinked in surprise. "Wand magic? You don't use wand magic?

"Nope.

"Then what do you use?

"Er, elemental magic.

"How does that work?

J.P rubbed his neck. "Well, it's hard to explain. I'll show you instead. How's that?

"Sounds good.

"All right then." He held his out his hands at shoulder height, palms down. _Ignis preasul_1!" J.P made a face as he felt his stomach flip. "Ugh." He took several deep breaths and gave Harry a sickly smile when the other boy looked at him in concern. "Nothing, don't worry about it.

Nodding, Harry watched in awe as a flower of fire bloomed in front of him and unfurled to show a petite female with huge flaming wings.

"Well, what do you want this time?" Burning eyes turned towards Harry and they flickered for a moment in surprise. "Well I'll be. There are two of you.

"This is Harry. We're stuck in his world.

"Oh, that would explain why everything here's all skewed." Aurelia replied as she fluttered her wings. She gave Harry a nod. "So what are you doing here stuck with this jock?

"Hey!" J.P. said indignantly. "I'm not just a jock!

"No, of course not." Aurelia rolled her eyes. She looked around quickly. "Where's my delicious Dee?

"Your Dee? She's mine!" J.P. said with a frown.

Harry absently wondered if it was healthy to be arguing with a fiery creature like that as he looked up at her in amazement. He reached out tentatively and drew back when he heard her laugh softly. He gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry.

"Oh no, it's quite all right. I won't burn you." She winked and flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Unless you want me to.

"Er, no, I'm all right." Harry said with a blush at her blatant flirting. She stretched out a hand to him and he touched it slowly. His eyes widened. It was just like touching another person! Her hand was soft and firm.

"So how much magic do you know?" J.P asked as Aurelia floated down to sit beside him. The grass around her didn't even singe as she plucked at it absentmindedly.

"Not too much.

"Show me something cool." J.P said with an encouraging smile.

"Okay. Here goes." Harry flicked his wand and pointed it straight ahead. _Expecto Patronum_!" A burst of silvery mist escaped from the end of his wand and a large, ghostly stag appeared. It pawed at the ground and nickered. Aurelia floated over and peered at it curiously. She touched it lightly and smiled in delight when it nudged at her hand.

"Wow! That's awesome! What does it do?" J.P asked as he watched his Fire Dancer play with the stag.

"It chases away Dementors.

"A spell that chases away Dementors... That would be handy." J.P said as he watched the stag fade away. Aurelia pouted in disappointment but shrugged and went back to playing with the grass.

"You have Dementors too?" Harry asked as he watched Aurelia curiously.

"Yeah, they patrol Azkaban.

"They do that here too." Harry replied tightly. "Well, they did. They left at the end of last year." He shivered and tried not to think about who they were probably with. He looked at J.P and swallowed. "I don't suppose your Godfather, Sirius Black, is still alive too.

"Of course he is!" The enormity of Harry's words hit him and he too went white. "You mean he's dead? He died?

"He died at the end of my Fifth Year." Harry said quietly, closing his eyes as he fought down the lump in his throat.

"What happened?" J.P. asked.

"He fell." Harry whispered. "He followed me to protect me and he fell behind the Veil. He died to protect me. He died because of me." He choked back a sob. His shoulders shook with the effort. He could feel his grief threatening to overwhelm him and he clenched his hands into fists. He felt the sting of his nails biting into his skin and revelled in the pain. It was better than feeling cold and empty.

J.P. was silent. He didn't know how to comfort the other boy but got up awkwardly and squeezed his shoulder firmly. He felt the other boy tense and slowly withdrew. "It wasn't your fault," he said softly.

Harry's head snapped up and his lips twisted in a snarl as his emerald eyes darkened with fury. _How would you know_?" he bellowed and took a step forward, bringing him closer to the taller boy.

J.P met his eyes calmly. "Everything happens for a reason." He replied quietly. He didn't know what happened but he recognised the self-loathing that Harry harboured. He made a small gesture and Aurelia subsided. The fire elemental had risen to her feet and was about to leap at the enraged boy. She hissed a silent warning at Harry even as she obeyed her master.

"You don't know anything about it." Harry replied coldly.

He stepped closer until they were toe to toe and looked him in the eye. "I might not know anything about it, but hating yourself for it won't make it any better. How do you think your Sirius would feel if he saw you acting this way? I know my Godfather would hate to see me like this, he'd want me to let it go.

Harry stared at him with wide eyes that were slowly filling with tears. _How dare he! He has no right to talk about Sirius like that! He doesn't even know my Sirius!_ With an inarticulate cry, Harry drew back his fist and landed a hard right, all his anger and grief fuelling the blow.

A sharp gesture from J.P was the only thing that stopped Harry from being incinerated on the spot. J.P's head snapped to the side and he bit back a curse, stars exploding in his vision, as he tasted the bitter tang of blood on his tongue. He stumbled and fell to his knees as dizziness and pain fogged his mind. He had the feeling that Harry had hit him as hard as he could and it felt like an anvil had hit him in the face. He blinked up at the trembling boy as he tried to make everything stop spinning.

Harry was trembling above him, his hand still outstretched from his punch. Slowly, the rage ebbed away and a look of horror passed over his features. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry." Harry whispered as he watched the blood rushing to the spot where he'd hit him. He winced and realised that it would leave a nasty bruise on the side of his jaw. He'd split the skin and a thin trickle of blood trailed down past his collar and stained the already red shirt darker. He stepped forward to offer a hand to the fallen boy but Aurelia had already wrapped herself protectively around J.P. and was hissing at him.

J.P. let out a grunt. "It's okay, Aurelia." He let her help him to his feet and gave Harry a weak grin. He wiped at his face and looked at the smear on his fingertips and shrugged. "I'll bet you've been wanting to do that for a long time. It's not healthy to keep things bottled up like that.

Harry tensed at those words. Everyone had been telling him the same thing and he was sick of it. Was J.P. going to do the same as them? "I've heard that before." He bit out.

"I'm not saying you have to talk to someone, everyone deals with stuff like this in their own way. I'm just saying that you need to have an outlet if you're not going to speak to other people." J.P. gave him a grin. "You've got a great right hook by the way." He wiped away the blood from his skin with his robe. Thankfully, it didn't start bleeding again.

Harry stared at him in disbelief for a moment. Was the other boy insane? He'd just hit him as hard as he could and he just grinned at him. "Are you okay?

"Oh, I'll be fine soon enough. You don't play Chaser without learning how to take a hit." J.P. said with a shrug.

"Oh." Harry felt awkward and sat down again. He watched as J.P. gingerly lowered himself back onto the ground. "Um...

"So where'd you get that scar from?" J.P. asked in the silence that followed. Aurelia was fussing with his collar and he snorted in amusement. She whacked him over the head and glared at him.

Harry's hand flew up to cover his scar automatically and then chuckled bitterly. "This thing. I got it when I was a baby. Have you ever heard of Voldemort?

J.P.'s expression darkened and a flash of anger and hate flickered over his face. "Yeah. He tried to kill Dee.

Harry perked up at that. "Is that why Dee has that scar on her forehead?

"When did you see that?" J.P. asked in surprise. "She always covers it and you can barely see it.

"When you guys, uh, dropped in, her hair fell away from her forehead.

"To be honest, I don't really know all that much about it. No one, especially our parents, talk about it much. And never, ever around Dee. As far as I can tell, Dee doesn't even know what happened either. There's a big chunk of her memory missing.

"Why?

"No one knows. She just doesn't remember anything that happened.

"What happened?

"Well, when we were seven, Voldemort kidnapped her from Malfoy Manor. He destroyed most of the West Wing to get to her.

Harry gave him a confused look. "West Wing?

"Er, Dee's playroom was in the West Wing. It had some of the most complex wards I have ever seen." He shook himself. "But back to your question. From what I know, Dee got her scar from a _Umbra Lamnia_2. It's a weapon that Shadow mages use. It's made from pure hatred. He was going to steal her soul, making it impossible for her to find peace in the afterlife, an ultimate punishment for both her and her family." He shuddered. "I can't even imagine how close he came to completing his spell.

Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. What kind of monster would do that to a child? "Why wasn't she killed?

"My dad and her dad rescued her. They killed Voldemort themselves, and brought her back.

"But why would Voldemort try to kill Dee?

"Because Lucius Malfoy is the Minister of Magic and rallied support against him.

The disbelief was plain on his face. _Lucius Malfoy is the Minister of Magic_? The Lucius Malfoy here is an evil git. He's horrible.

"Oh, that's why everyone was so surprised when Dee told them that he was the Minister. But the Lucius Malfoy I know might be a bit scary, but he's great at his job. And don't let Dee hear you say that. She hates it when people say things about her family.

"I'll keep that in mind." Harry replied, still in a bit of a daze.

J.P. peered at his scar again. "So how'd you get your scar?

"Voldemort tried to kill me too, here, when I was a baby. He hit me with with the killing curse, _Avada Kedavra_. I didn't die though; my mother gave her life to protect me. That's how I got this scar." He gave J.P. a self-mocking smile. "They call me The Boy Who Lived.

"Dee's called The Girl Who Lived. She really hates it.

"I hate it too. I hate it that people recognise me for it and never leave me alone.

J.P. leant forward to look at it and frowned. "It looks painful; a lot different from Dee's.

"Yeah, it can hurt quite a bit." Harry agreed. His eyes clouded over as he remembered when his scar hurt and why.

J.P. looked uncomfortable at the look of grief on Harry's face. He never knew how to handle these situations. He coughed. "So, er, how does a wand work?

Harry shook himself and blinked. "Oh, right." He drew out his wand and handed it over to J.P. who looked at it curiously. "It's more of a focus point. Magic can be quite unpredictable and chaotic so a wand is basically used to focus the magic at a point.

"Oh, that would be handy I suppose." J.P. gave the wand a flick and Harry ducked as the patch of dirt beside him exploded. J.P. looked from the smouldering ditch and back to him and chuckled weakly. "Er... I think I'll give it back now." He hastily thrust it back at him and crossed his arms over his chest. He scowled as Aurelia snickered.

"Yeah, I think you'd better not handle any more wands, at least until you know how.

J.P. nodded sheepishly. "I think you're right.

"How do you use your magic?

"There are spells that we have but it's more of focusing on what you want to happen.

"Oh. So you can do anything you want?

"Well, not exactly. There are limits to what I can do. I can't just make people explode into flames or anything like that. I can only manipulate the environment; I can't do anything to people directly. Water and Air mages can, Shadow and Verdant mages can to an extent, but you can't do it with Fire or Earth magic. But we do have some spells similar to yours. I know we have _Accio_ as well. I'm sure we have a whole bunch of spells that are the same.

"Huh?" Harry blinked at him uncomprehendingly. "Water? Air? Verdant?

"Oh, right. Those are the elements we have: Fire, Water, Earth, Verdant, Air and Shadow. They're all really different, but similar in some ways.

"Oh.

"Like, we all have your basic spells, like _Accio_ and stuff like that. Those are what we call Basics. They can be used by anyone, any element. Then we have spells that are called Intermediate. These spells can be used by more than one element. Like, the Air and Verdant mages share healing spells, Shadow and Water share poison spells and potions, and Earth and Fire share violent ground explosions. After that, we have spells that only mages of that element can cast. They're called Exceptionals. For example, I can make fire balls and stuff like that, and no other element can. And finally, we have what we call Ultimates. They're spells that only more powerful mages of each element can cast. They're really devastating. The Major Ultimate for Fire is _Ignis Imber_ 3 which makes flaming boulders rain down from the sky. It has a radius of up to ten metres.

"Wow." Harry murmured.

"Yeah. I can't cast it yet, but Dad can." J.P. brightened slightly. "But I can cast an _Ignis preasul_ which is a Minor Ultimate.

Harry smiled slightly at J.P.'s enthusiasm. "Your Dad must be very powerful.

"He is. He's really great at crowd control.

"I can imagine.

"J.P., no offence, but you two are being boring. I'm off." Aurelia rose into the air and winked at them. "See ya! Oh, and next time, make sure Dee's around. You're not exactly my idea of eye candy." With a burst of flame, she disappeared from whence she came.

"I hate it when she does that." J.P. muttered as he rolled his eyes and flopped onto his back. He folded his hands behind his head. "So what exactly do you do when you want to have fun? Please don't tell me you play Wizard's chess." He gave Harry a pained look and Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"Sometimes.

"Aw, man! How can you play that? It's so boring!

"Why do you say that? It's pretty fun.

"Dee plays it all the time with Blaise and Ron. She won't leave until she's finished a game.

Harry looked at him in surprise. "You're friends with Blaise Zabini?

"Yeah, sure. He's pretty cool. When he doesn't have his head shoved in a book. He's great as a research partner. And he's a fabulous beater!" J.P. said enthusiastically.

"How do you know Zabini?

"Ah, he's been a friend since before we started at Hogwarts. Dee, me, Blaise, Ron, Mione, Pansy, Greg and Vince, we're all great friends.

"Greg and Vince? As in Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe?" Harry choked out in disbelief.

"Yeah, sure. They're great at Herbology, not to mention History of Magic. They let me copy their homework most of the time." He gave him a small, pained look. "Well, they do unless Dee specifically tells them not to and then they won't share.

"Ah. I see. They're kinda different here.

"Really?

"Yeah, they're a bit duller here.

"What's that mean?

"They're dumb, annoying and nothing ever good comes from having the pair of them in the same room with you.

"What do they do?

"They like to bully other people, especially people who are smaller than them. They're Malfoy's lackeys.

"Malfoy? Oh, right. The other Draco Malfoy.

Harry gave him a surprised look. "You've heard of him?

"Yeah, they mentioned him when we were in the infirmary. What's he like?

"What's he like? Er... He can be a bit conceited, rather rude when it suits him and he can be annoying sometimes." Harry shrugged. "But he can be very focused, generous," it was true, Harry had seen him give Crabbe and Goyle rather lavish Christmas presents before, "and he's very smart." Harry flushed slightly and looked away as he felt his cheeks heat up.

"He doesn't sound too bad." J.P. said, oblivious to Harry's embarrassment.

"He's... not really. His Dad's the reason he's so messed up." Harry replied. He turned redder at the look J.P. gave him. Obviously, J.P. had picked up on that comment. "It's true. Draco's not too bad. His dad's a real jerk though. He's tried to kill me before.

"What's his dad do?

"He works for the Ministry. He's a cold man. Everything he does, he does for his own benefit.

"Oh, one of those people." J.P. wrinkled his nose. "Brown noses his way to the top or bribes his way out of trouble.

"Yes. Exactly." Harry shook his head and plucked at the grass near his knee. He paused. "But Lucius Malfoy's in Azkaban now. They managed to connect him to the Death Eaters. Like I said, Draco doesn't exactly have the best of role models.

"Everyone's in charge of their own destiny. It might take them longer to follow the right path, but it all works out in the end." J.P. said.

"I suppose." Harry replied softly. He thought about Snape and how he was still trying to make up for his past mistakes.

"Tell me something, Harry.

Harry blinked at the seriousness of the other boy's tone and leant forward. "What?

"When's breakfast?

-----------------------

1 Fire dancer

2 Shadow Blade

3 Rain of Fire


	7. Has anyone seen our children?

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**E-mail:**

**Summary:** Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are one of a kind. Maybe. Alternate worlds are meant to stay separate but not everything turns out the way they're supposed to. How much trouble can two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters get into? Especially when someone decides to up the ante and make things a whole lot worse for them all. Slash, het. HP/DM, HP/DM, RW/HG and more.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though).

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it.

-----------------------------------------------

**Flip Side**

**Chapter Seven: Has anyone seen our children?**

"What did you say?" Lucius Archard Beltane Henry Malfoy drawled as he looked at his younger brother incredulously. He felt his blood go cold as he searched Severus' face for any sign that would tell him that Severus was lying.

"Your daughter is missing, Luc." Severus repeated from the fireplace, his expression pinched with worry.

"C'est impossible!1 No, you're mistaken Sev. Draco is completely safe." Lucius shook his head emphatically in denial. He felt dizzy and his chest felt like it was about to explode, it was as if the air had been sucked out of the room. He was currently in his office at Malfoy Manor, and it was just as well, considering that he had the sudden urge to scream and rip apart everything in sight.

Severus looked at his brother with sympathy in his eyes. He knew what he was feeling. Dee was the daughter he never had and she was missing. Macnair hadn't been able to provide answers yet but it was only a matter of time before the teenager cracked and they would have something to go by. In the meantime, he would have to make sure that Lucius didn't kill the boy.

"It's the truth, Luc. I cannot say otherwise, you know that as well as I do. She's missing.

Lucius leapt to his feet, his large leather armchair thrown backwards by the sheer force. "THEN WHERE IS SHE IF SHE'S NOT WITH YOU?" Lucius' roar shook the room as his power manifested itself, the shining corona of silvery blue power threaded through the air and crackled.

"Calme vous-meme2!" Severus barked out in French, the language of their childhood coming to the surface, as he tried to calm his brother down. He changed his tone when Lucius' eyes cleared with rationality for a moment, continuing in a softer tone. "Luc, we need you to come down here now. Not as a father, but as the Minister of Magic. It's urgent and you cannot let your anger be your guide. We have the boy responsible for-

"You have the boy who took my Draco away?" Lucius' eyes narrowed into slits as he felt the rage burn through his veins.

Severus cursed under his breath and hissed. "Luc, please, you are not making this any easier. Get some control man!

"Ce n'est pas votre fille qui est abstante3!" Lucius snapped. Behind him, his set of crystal snifters exploded spectacularly.

Black eyes snapping with anger, Severus replied just as loudly and angrily. "Elle est ma niece et la personne la plus etroite a un enfant que je reclamerai jamais4!" He was lucky his lovers had left to call James and Lily Potter in the Headmaster's office. He knew they would have been very upset by the sheer amount of Shadow magic he was leaking into the air.

The two brothers glared at each other, their chests heaving with pent up anger at the situation. Their heated words echoed angrily around Lucius' large office.

"What's going on in here?" A tall woman strode into the room, her soft yellow robes swirling around her. She paused as she noticed Lucius' stance and her brother-in-laws angry face in the fireplace. She raised a delicate brow and made her way to her husband's side. "Will you please tell me why you two are yelling at each other in French?

"Sev has just told me that Draco has gone missing.

All the colour drained from Narcissa's face and she hissed. Huge white wings exploded from the back of her robes and ripped the fabric to pieces. "What do you _mean_ Ômissing'?

In addition to her huge white wings, her clothing shimmered and transformed into a deep violet tunic that brushed the ground. Silver and gold cords wrapped around her waist and hips as a whirlwind of white and silver, her own magical aura, danced around her5. Her eyes blazed with parental outrage and she took a step towards the fireplace and glared at Severus who had instinctively drawn away from the furious woman despite the fact there was no way she could hurt him at the moment. "Tell me, where is she?" The soft hiss was like a gunshot in the silent room.

Both men shrank away from the pure blooded Veela as she snarled in anger. Narcissa was hard to anger, and usually, the only time she was ever truly angry was when something happened to someone she loved. And if that happened, well, come Hell or high water, she would hunt down the person who had wronged her loved one.

Severus swallowed and glared over her shoulder at his brother who was laughing silently at him despite the seriousness of the situation. "Cissa, I'm afraid to tell you that we don't know." He braced himself for the inevitable explosion. He was not disappointed.

Behind her, a huge glass vase exploded, the books flew off the shelves as she looked at him incredulously before anger made her expression forbidding. "I'm sorry, I thought I heard you say you didn't know where she was." Her tone was polite, as though she expected him to change his answer to suit her.

"I did. We have no idea where she is." Severus had to be careful. Dee hadn't gotten her temper from her father. No, she had inherited her incredibly destructive displays of temper from her mother. It was offset by her incredible control over said temper that she had inherited from her father. Of course, Severus had only ever heard of his niece being truly angry once and he never wanted to again. They had never been able to repair the West Wing playroom in Malfoy Manor; the residual magic had bled into every fibre of the room and would not let go. He shuddered as he remembered exactly why she had been so angry and pushed away the memory, but he couldn't stop the incredible sense of foreboding that reared it's ugly head.  
  
Narcissa's eyes widened and she shook her head in denial. "How could she just go missing? Hogwarts is one of the most protected places on Earth! I should know, I strengthened and modified most of the current wards and protective shields around it!

"She was involved in an incident with another Sixth Year named Macnair and his cronies. Apparently, Macnair threw something at her just before she disappeared." Severus' face darkened at the mention of the foolish Sixth Year.

"You didn't say she disappeared! I thought you said she was just missing!" Narcissa cried, her wings flapping in alarm. "And what kind of object? My wards prevent unapproved portkeys from being activated on school grounds!

Severus made a vain attempt to soothe her, even though he knew she wouldn't take comfort in anything he said until she was holding her daughter again. "I merely meant that Macnair has managed to transport her to an unknown location." Severus put in before she could so anything else.

"So you don't know where she is? She could be lost somewhere, anywhere! She could be in the middle of the ocean for all we know! She can't swim!" An even more horrifying thought occurred to her and she bit back a sob of fear. "What if Death Eaters have her?" Narcissa moaned as she pressed her face into her hands. Dee was her child, her only child, and she loved her like no other.

"Don't say that Cissa." Lucius whispered. "Don't say that. She'll be fine." He wrapped his arms around his wife tightly as she pressed her face into her Claimed's shoulder and his tone turned comforting. "I'm sure she's safe, wherever she is.

"If it makes you feel any better," Severus added, "where ever she is, J.P is with her.

Severus' comment comforted both parents, surprisingly. While Lucius was not fond of J.P, if only because he was dating his only daughter, he knew that he would protect Dee with everything he had, even his life if it came down to it. Together, Dee and J.P had an incredible magical partnership. Their knowledge of each other made them almost unbeatable in partner duelling, and as a romantic couple, their relationship went beyond the bonds of love.

"Yes, it does make me feel better. He will look after her while we cannot." Narcissa murmured. She straightened and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. She gave Severus a nod. "We will be there as soon as we can." Her eyes darkened. "And if that boy knows what is good for him, he will tell us exactly what we need to know.

-------------------

James Potter was not a patient man. Nor was he a calm man. He was a man of action, a man who liked to do things rather than think about them. Which was why he had rushed over to Hogwarts from the Ministry as soon as Sirius and Remus had contacted him. He hadn't even asked for permission to leave duty, he had simply found the nearest Apparating Chamber and Apparated to Hogsmeade in a burst of flames.

"Where is my son?" The deep roar echoed around the small room, flashes of fire sparked and danced across the man's taut frame. He stalked up and down the length of the room as he glared at the boy in front of him, his dark eyes flashing with barely suppressed rage. He didn't even notice the carpet turning to ash under his feet.

Macnair had never seen a lion in real life, but he had a feeling that James Potter could very well turn himself into one and crush his bones with a single snap of his jaws. "I don't know." The boy sobbed as he struggled against the invisible ropes that bound him to his chair. Macnair bowed his head and wept in terror as he heard something explode near him. It was only due to the Headmaster's limiting circle that prevented James from incinerating him in anger.

"What do you mean you don't know? You had bloody well tell me what I want to know." James spat.

"I wasn't told anything! I swear!" Macnair moaned softly.

James let out another roar of anger and it must have been too much for the boy, for his eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped forward.

James stared at him incredulously. He leant forward, wincing slightly as the limiting circle sucked at his magic, and poked his shoulder. When he didn't get a reaction, James stepped back and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. The idiot had fainted. He had _fainted_. Now what was he supposed to do? His frustration manifested itself as a burning corona of magic and he glowered angrily at his captive.

The door behind him opened and closed quietly. "You're not going to get any answers out of him like that, Potter.

"What-" James let out a yelp of surprise as he was suddenly doused with freezing cold water. He dropped to his knees and began shaking immediately as his body desperately tried to create more heat for itself. He hissed out a rather rude expletive and muttered a quick heating spell. Steam filled the air as he dried himself. He spun around and glared at the tall blonde who was leaning against the closed door with a mocking grin on his face. "What do you want, Malfoy?

"I want what you want. To get our children back.

James' sneer disappeared and he looked at the floor as he clenched his fists. "He doesn't know anything. I've tried everything.

"You've scared the living daylights out of him. He's too scared to tell you anything." Lucius replied with a condescending sneer.

"I was only trying to get information out of him." James muttered defensively.

"He can't help us if he's a gibbering wreck. Now he's bloody unconscious. That's a big help.

"And you could do better?" James asked hissed.

"Of course I could.

"Forgive me if I don't believe you." The brunette retorted with a raised eyebrow. "Whenever anything happens to Dee you tend to become a violent maniac.

"I do not." Lucius snapped, even though he knew the other man was right.

"Yes you do. When Dee fell off her horse when she first started riding, you pitched a fit and almost cast a _Glacialis Casus_6 on the poor mare. If Dee hadn't crash tackled you, it would have been a big frozen mess.

"That was because the horse threw her." Lucius replied stiffly, knowing where this was leading. "And she didn't crash tackle me, as you so crudely put it. She merely gained my attention in an effective manner.

James rolled his eyes. "You overreacted." He pointed out.

"I did not. It was an evil horse.

"An evil horse.

The flat tone made Lucius bristle. "Shut up Potter. You're not exactly one to talk. You're as trigger happy as an hyper active blast ended skrewt!

"You-" James almost threw himself at the taller man when Lily walked into the room and waved her hand. Vines shot out of the ground and twined tightly around James. He struggled with a growl but quickly stopped when they only tightened. He idly entertained the thought of incinerating them, but quickly discarded the idea. The last time he had done that, Lily hadn't spoken to him for two weeks, not to mention that she deliberately made sure his salad was able to bite back. Literally and painfully.

Remus and Sirius followed her into the room with sheepish expressions on their faces as they watched James struggled with the vines. Lucius seemed to be quite happy as he continued to douse him every time he set off a spark. He and Severus shared a smirk when the dark haired man swept into the room after the Headmaster.

"Sorry, James set the tapestries on fire and we had to put them out." Remus said apologetically as he carefully started to extract his friend from his predicament. Sirius was quietly snickering behind his back and James scowled darkly at him.

"Shut up Padfoot. You'd be a bit pissed off if it was _your_ son who'd gone missing.

Sirius instantly sobered and looked quite guilty. "Sorry, Prongs.

"Mother and father will be here by tomorrow." Severus said quietly to Lucius.

The blond man nodded and sighed deeply. "Is Mother Lucinda bringing anyone?

"She said she will talk to her clan. I'm sure they will be able to help us. They are rather fond of Dee. She is the Heir to Slytherin after all, one of their greatest allies when he was alive.

"I see. We can only hope for the best." Lucius murmured back.

"Where's Narcissa? I thought she was coming with you." Severus murmured curiously.

"She said she had some people to contact first." Lucius replied with a shrug.

"You don't think she contacted her family, do you? Because if she did, it'll only be a matter of time before we have a full scale war on our hands.

Lucius blanched when he realised that Severus was right. Narcissa was from a royal line of Veelas. As soon as it became known that one of the heirs to the throne had been kidnapped, there would be trouble. A lot of trouble.

"Where's my daughter?" Lucius gulped and turned frightened eyes towards the doors as a familiar voice sounded through the room. Everyone flinched at the anger they heard and turned towards the door apprehensively. Narcissa's temper was legendary.

"Narcissa's here." Severus said dryly as he stepped back into the shadows along the wall and cast a wary eye towards the door. He did not want to be near her when she exploded.

"Great." Lucius muttered as he moved to intercept his wife before she killed their only link to where Dee and J.P. could possibly be.

A moment later, Narcissa stepped into the room, her face set in a cold scowl. "Why is he unconscious?" Her eyes narrowed and she turned back to face her husband.

"I didn't do it, Potter did." Lucius raised his hands in a placating manner and pointed at the aforementioned man.

"Traitor." James shot the other man a glare before muttering what might have been a rather creative insult, before answering her. "I might have been a little too scary for him." James replied with a shrug and another glare in Lucius' direction.

"Might? Well, make sure it doesn't happen again. I want to question him." Narcissa replied. She turned towards Macnair and waved a hand. The boy let out a loud gasp and straightened.

"Where is my daughter?" Almost instantly, Narcissa transformed into her Veelan form. Her large blue eyes blazed with anger and a visible aura of white engulfed her. A moment later, two huge white wings ripped out of the back of her robes and she bore down on Macnair who shrieked like a girl and tried desperately to get out of the chair to which he was bound. The burning corona of power around Narcissa was terrifying. "Where is she? Where is my daughter?

"Cissa, I don't think you're making things better." Severus observed as Macnair's eyes started to roll in terror.

"You!

Severus let out an undignified squeak and tumbled backwards as Narcissa whirled to face him. He ducked behind Remus and peeked at her from over his shoulder. He whacked Sirius over the head when the larger man laughed at him and then scowled at Remus when he noticed the shaking of his shoulders and soft sniggers. He straightened and stepped away from his lovers, casting dark glances in their direction.

"Er, hello Cissa." When she glared, he moved back behind Remus and Sirius with a small yelp that he tried to turn into a cough.

"How dare you try to hide? Face me like a man!

"I'm not stupid, I don't want to die." Severus muttered. He had thought she had calmed down in Lucius' office, but apparently he was wrong. Damn, she always managed to lull him into a false sense of security before exploding at him.

"Why didn't you stop it? For all we know she could be dead! You're supposed to protect her!" Narcissa snarled, advancing on him as her wings fluttered in response to her emotions. She started to glow again and Severus quickly averted his eyes. It was painful to look at, especially when one was more accustomed to the dark as he was. He was relieved to notice that Remus and Sirius had also backed away from the enraged blonde.

"I-

"Mrs. Malfoy, it wasn't Severus's fault." Albus said quietly. "According to the Court, there was no way he could have stopped it in time.

"What happened exactly?" Lucius asked patiently.

"Perhaps it would be better if I showed you." Albus gestured to a large bowl that sat on his table. "I had the Court put their memories into this Pensieve. Mr. Malfoy, if you would?

"Of course." Lucius stepped up to the bowl and held his hands over it. He pursed his lips slightly in concentration and splayed his fingers. A soft hum filled the air as a large sphere appeared in the middle of the room. Images flashed across the surface of it and they all watched the scene replayed for them. When it was over, everyone was silent, not quite sure how to react to what they had just seen.

"Oh Dee..." Narcissa whispered as tears misted her eyes. Lucius quickly walked over to her and held her tightly as she pressed her face into his chest. "Oh Lucius, our baby girl...

"She's fine. Draco is a resilient girl." Lucius murmured, though if he was trying to comfort her or himself, he wasn't sure.

"At least J.P. is with her." Narcissa murmured.

"J.P. will keep her safe." Lily said confidently even though her face was pale with apprehension.

"My son had better be safe you little piece of filth, or I will kill you." James snarled at Macnair. "Tell me where he is!

Macnair trembled and ducked his head. He sorely regretted his actions, but he didn't know anything that could help them. He had only been told to give her the small artefact, nothing else.

Macnair really did love Dee; he loved her personality and physical beauty. He would never really hurt her, he just wanted her to notice him like she noticed J.P. Ever since he had first seen her he knew that she would be the only one for him.

His father had approached him during the Christmas break, telling him that if he wanted to catch Dee's attention, all he had to do was give her the artefact. It would make her think of him in the same way she thought of J.P. In his desperation, Macnair had believed him. He just thought that it would make her his, he hadn't suspected that it would do anything else. He should have known better, his father never did anything without a reason, not to mention that he was a Dark Mage, one who hated Lucius Malfoy.

"I don't know." He whispered.

"I'm not sure if it's as simple as that." Albus looked tired, very tired, as he sat in his chair.

"What do you mean, Albus?" Lily murmured.

"If that object was what I think it is, then we might be in for a very long wait.

"What do you think it is?

"A World Turner.

"World Turner?" The adults all gasped and paled as they realised just how bad the situation really was. The blood left Macnair's face and he stared at the Headmaster in horror.

"Yes, that's the only thing I know of that could be described like that.

"How will we get them back?" Narcissa whimpered.

Lucius ground his teeth together in frustration. As powerful as he was, there was no way he would be able to create a World Turner.

"There has to be a way!" James barked.

"Yes, every spell or item has a way to reverse the effects. Surely a World Turner is the same." Lily replied quietly, hopefully.

"We can only hope. Miss Granger and Mr. Zabini are already going through the library as we speak, as are the other professors as classes have been cancelled.

He paused and shook his head. "Though I cannot tell you that I am very confident in finding a way to bring them back. No one has ever returned from a spin with a World Turner. They best we can do is find a way to track down what world they were sent to. And that will take a very, very long time.

"But surely there has to be a way to narrow it down!

"There is, but I don't know if Mr. Macnair will cooperate with us.

As one, everyone turned to the hapless boy tied down in his chair.

------------------------------

Meanwhile...

His thin lips drew back from his teeth in a vicious smile, as Voldemort lowered the missive he had been reading.

"Well, well, well. This certainly makes things more interesting." He hissed softly.

By his knee, Nagini hissed wordlessly back in response.

"Yes, I'm quite sure I can turn this to my advantage. Having one Draco Malfoy under my command may be to my advantage, but to have two? I couldn't ask for more." He laughed, the soft, sinister sound reverberating around the dimly lit room.

"Master? What are your orders?" Peter Pettigrew whispered. He grovelled at his master's feet and shivered at the way his laugh echoed around them.

"We shall wait." He stroked a hand down Nagini's scaly head thoughtfully. "Already, He whispers to me of her power. I will have that power under my command, and I refuse to make a mistake so early in the game.

"Yes, my lord." Pettigrew replied as he shuffled backwards, back into the shadows. He didn't know who He was, but he had a feeling he didn't want to know. For a while now, a month perhaps, Lord Voldemort had seemed to become darker, even more sinister than he already was. He had begun using spells, wandless magic, that Pettigrew had never even heard of. From the reactions of the Death Eaters, it was obvious they hadn't either. Whatever was happening to their Dark Lord, whatever was affecting him, did not bode well to the rest of the world, both Wizarding and Muggle.

"Yes, I will finally have my vengeance." Voldemort whispered as he felt Pettigrew leave the room. His red eyes flashed in the darkness and he laughed again.

------------------------------

1 That's impossible!

2 Calm yourself

3 It's not your daughter who is missing

4 She's my niece and the closest person to a child I will ever claim

5 Yes, I do realise that veelas in canon HP are rather unattractive to look at. In my Dee and J.P.'s universe, veelas are descended from a race of beings called Draconians (cough Escaflowne rip off cough) who were a race of beings that were angelic in appearance and well known for their intelligence and powers of divination. I'll mention it later on, no worries. LOL

6 Roughly, it means Ôviolent ice death

Sorry there wasn't any Draco or Harry, Dee or J.P. in this chapter, but I wanted to introduce their parents and stuff. Hope you still liked it!

I really want to thank my beta **lilypurewhite**! She's the best and she makes everything so nice and neat and grammatically correct! LOL Thanks so much! I really appreciate it. huggles

Now, time to thank all my lovely reviewers!

**Tsuyuno**: LOL Yes, I totally understand you situation! I usually sneak on and read stuff when I'm s'pposed to be studying. LOL Yeah, eventually you get really tired of being nice when all this bad stuff happens to you. I mean, I know I'd get a little pissed off! LOL Thanks for the review! And don't worry, there will be more slashiness in a chapter or so! Go H/D!

**Squifi**: Thanks for the compliments! I'm glad that you liked how I made the info into a Ôconversation' rather than just a big info thingy. blushes You're so nice! huggles LOL I really want to show how even though the two Dracos and Harrys are the same people, they're still different due to their upbringing and all that. The two worlds were interesting to think up, though honestly, the credit should go mostly to my brother. He's an incredibly creative and intelligent (though I would never say that to his face) person. He helpled me think up stuff. He's so nice to me! huggles her brother and ignores his vain attempts to escape LOL The breakfast is next chapter! Thanks for the review!

**ScaryAnna**: I hope my pathetic vocabulary and grammatical skills didn't offend you in this chapter! Normally, I'd ask someone to go over it and tell me what they think, but the person I usually ask is currently unavailable so I had to make do. Hopefully it wasn't too atrocious! LOL But I'm glad you liked it. I so love a French Draco! LOL Thanks for the compliments! I really appreciate it and thanks for your review!

**Brenna8**: LOL Yeah, the punch was kinda fun to write... Though admittedly, I did it cuz I was tired of having Harry get all depressed in most fics. See, I reckon he's the kind of person, if given a physical outlet, would tend to relax a bit more. But that's just my opinion. LOL Thanks for the review!

**Mon2**: blushes That's so nice of you to say! huggles Thanks so much, that means a lot to me! Mm kay, about the boy/girl thing, well, there's a reason for that. It'll pop up quite a bit later though, I'm afraid, a few more chapters at least. As you can guess, it's got something to do with Voldie from Draco's world rather than Dee's. Thanks for the review and kind comments!

**Roslyn Drycof**: I'm glad you like this! I love writing it and it's so nice to know that people are enjoying it! LOL Yes, there will be some slashy goodness popping up soon enough. I'd rather go through it slowly and in character, rather than just hurling them into a relationship. Though, admittedly, I quite enjoy some fics that do that... LOL Thanks for the review!

**Mara202**: Thanks for the review!

**Lucidity**: LOL Yeah, if I had been J.P., I too would have smacked Harry for that! Then again, with my girliness, it prolly would have had no effect... LOL But thanks for the review! I really appreciate it!

**thrnbrooke**: Thanks for the review! LOL Yes, Dee and J.P. are going to be nudging them along. Those two are the cutest couple! I just adore H/D! LOL As you can tell. LOL But yeah, there will be slashy goodness coming soon! No worries!

Thanks for reviewing everyone! I really appreciate the effort it took to review and it means a lot to me that you did it. I really hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! R&R if you want! I'll update as soon as I can.

Take care, savvy?

DW


	8. Breakfast is the most important meal of

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**E-mail:**

**Summary:** Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are one of a kind. Maybe. Alternate worlds are meant to stay separate but not everything turns out the way they're supposed to. How much trouble can two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters get into? Especially when someone decides to up the ante and make things a whole lot worse for them all. Slash, het. HP/DM, HP/DM, RW/HG and more.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though).

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it.

Blah.thoughts

_Blah._ Writing

"Blah." Talking.

--------------------- Denotes a change of scene

Big spaces between paragraphs show a change of perspective.

_Blah._

The above is an example of a flash back.

-----------------------------------------------

**Flip Side**

Chapter Eight: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day 

Harry watched as J.P shovelled food into his mouth with gusto that he had only ever seen Ron match.

"You seem awfully hungry." He said slowly as he watched the boy next to him reach for yet another bread roll.

"I'm a growing boy, I need food." J.P replied with a grin. He slathered his roll with a generous amount of butter and jam and bit into it with a look of pure bliss.

"Be that as it may, you'll choke if you don't slow down." Hermione said, with a disapproving frown on her face.

"Ah, lay off him." Ron replied through a mouthful of toast. "He wants to eat, let the man eat.

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, just let him eat in peace, Mione. You can ask your questions later.

Hermione flushed slightly in embarrassment as Harry pointed out the main reason she was disgruntled by J.P's appetite. She sniffed and stuck her head back into her book, ignoring the three boys.

J.P gave her a smile. "Don't worry, I'll get Dee to answer your questions. She loves talking.

Hermione gave him a rather dubious look at the thought of asking the Slytherin girl anything. After all, her previous experiences with Slytherins wasn't very good, but J.P seemed adamant that Dee was nice, and he did seem very honest; she supposed it wouldn't be too bad to see what she was like. At least, she hoped it wouldn't be too bad.

"Bloody hell, look at that." Ron groaned suddenly and glared towards the other end of the hall.

"What?" Harry and J.P twisted around in unison to look. They were greeted with the sight of the Slytherins walking into the hall led by Draco Malfoy and a similar looking girl at his side. The two blondes were leaning towards each other and looked as though they were in a deep conversation.

"Hey, there's Dee!" J.P said with a smile. "Dee!" He waved enthusiastically at her. She looked up and gave him a smile, waving back slightly and nodding. J.P moved as though to get up but she gave him a slight shake of her head and cocked an eyebrow. She nodded towards the Head Table and J.P remembered that she was meant to sit with the other Slytherins. He sighed in disappointment but nodded in understanding. He sank back down into his seat and cast her a wistful look.

"Stop waving." Ron hissed. "She's a bloody Slytherin.

J.P gave him an annoyed glance. "Get off it." He snapped but quickly went back to eating.

"It doesn't look like everyone's thrilled with her." Hermione commented as she watched Pansy sneer at the girl from behind Draco's back. Her expression became thunderous when Draco helped Dee sit down and took his place beside her. It looked like the other blond was just itching to pitch a fit.

"Dee has a way of rubbing people the wrong way if she doesn't like them." J.P replied. He nodded at Pansy, who was reluctantly sitting down several places up from Draco and Dee, and watched as she snarled at a Fifth Year who had been unfortunate enough to be sitting next to her. "I'll bet that Pansy insulted her.

"How do you know that girl's Pansy Parkinson?" Hermione asked curiously.

J.P shrugged. "She's in my world too.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Of course! I didn't think of that! Are we in your world too?" She asked eagerly.

"Yeah. You and Ron are my best friends." J.P said.

"It's good to see things don't change too much!" Ron said with a grin and a friendly whack on the back.

J.P grinned back. "Yeah." He didn't mention the other people he hung around with. He had a feeling Ron would have an apoplexy.

"She certainly looks like Draco." Harry commented as he watched the tilting of silver hair and flashing eyes across the room.

"She's quite pretty." Hermione observed, beautiful in fact. From what she could see, Dee shared Draco's angelic beauty and she wondered if she had the same acidic disposition. She _looked_ nice, a soft smile gracing her lips, but looks weren't everything. "She could be Draco's twin sister.

"Mione!" Ron exclaimed. "You can't call her pretty!

"Well, she is!" Hermione defended herself.

"But she's a nasty Slytherin!

J.P slapped his hand down on the table, causing heads to swivel in their direction. "Bloody hell, get _over_ it, Ron! You don't know her at all!

The air seemed to become heavier, hotter, and a few people started to fan themselves unconsciously. Ron leant back, pulling at the collar of his jumper as a bead of sweat rolled down the back of his neck. When had it gotten so hot in the Great Hall?

"Leave it, Ron." Harry wondered how far Ron would push him before he exploded. He didn't think J.P was a pleasant person to be around when he was mad.

Ron spluttered but remained silent when Hermione kicked him and Harry gave him a stern look. "J.P's right, Ron. You don't know her. Wait until she does something before you start." Hermione said reasonably.

"Whatever." Ron sulked and poked at his eggs.

"Do you want to go flying after breakfast?" Harry asked J.P in an attempt to relieve the tension.

The boy brightened and nodded enthusiastically. "Sure!" He frowned. "But I don't have a broom.

"You could borrow a school broom." Hermione suggested.

"But they're so slow." J.P moaned. "Their turning is horrible and they're just plain sad.

"I thought they were rather good." Hermione murmured.

"You just don't get brooms Mione!" Ron said with a wave of his fork. "They're not just something you fly on! They have to have the perfect balance for their rider!

"Hear, hear." J.P nodded in agreement. "You can't just pick out any old broom; you have to have a broom that can handle your style of flying!" He nudged Harry. "Harry, back me up here.

"Yeah, they're quite right, Mione." Harry agreed with a smile and a laugh.

Hermione huffed as they blatantly ganged up on her and buried her nose in her book. "Boys." She muttered.

-----------------------------

"The boy on your left is Blaise Zabini." Draco said as he helped the petite girl settle into her seat. "Crabbe is to my left and Goyle is the boy next to him.

"Pleased to meet you." Dee replied with a nod to those mentioned.

"The pleasure's all mine." Blaise said with a sly wink. He took one of her delicate hands in his and raised it to his lips.

Dee raised an eyebrow and him and gently extracted her hands from his. "I'm sure it is, Zabini.

"Please, call me Blaise.

Dee made a noncommittal reply and started to examine the food on the table in front of her. Draco watched curiously as her nose wrinkled in distaste when she looked at the porridge and went straight for the fruit. Her hand hovered over the fruit basket before bypassing the green apples ones and picking up a large red one. She set it down on her plate and picked up her small paring knife, and slicing it carefully into eighths and taking out the core.

"Don't you have something better to do?" Draco asked with a scowl at his friend as the dark haired Italian continued to fawn over Dee.

"What could be better than courting a beautiful young lady?

Dee smiled in amusement. "Zabini, really, try not to get ahead of yourself. I might be already taken.

Draco started at the reminder and his eyes darted over to the Gryffindor table.

Blaise made a face and pressed a hand to his forehead dramatically. "Surely not!

Dee shrugged and started to eat her apple.

"I like red apples too. They're the sweeter of the lot." Blaise said as he too picked out a red one. Draco smirked, knowing perfectly well that Blaise disliked apples and preferred the stronger tasting grapefruit.

She gave Blaise a sideways glance. "Mm, really? I would have thought grapefruits would be more to your liking.

Blaise faltered for a moment, looking at her in amazement. He recovered quickly and smiled as he started to peel his apple. "What makes you think that?

"They're more tart, n'est pas1?" She gave him a mischievous smile and went back to her apple as he stared at her with an open mouth.

"How did you know that?" he asked once he got over his shock.

"I know a lot of things." Dee replied enigmatically as she reached for a croissant.

"Where did you learn that ice spell?" A voice asked from the other side of Blaise.

Dee tipped her head forward slightly and saw a stocky, plain looking girl by his side. "Ah, Millicent Bulstrode, isn't it?" Dee queried.

"Yes." The larger girl blinked in surprise at being identified.

"Mm." Dee focused her exotic eyes on the other girl, as though she was assessing her worth.

Millicent shifted uncertainly, her eyes lowering submissively as she was used to doing with Pansy.

Dee shook her head. The Millicent she knew was a brash, dare devil who enjoyed playing pranks on the other students, not this submissive girl. "Well, Millicent," deliberately using her first name, Dee smiled encouragingly at her when she looked up in surprise, "it's a specialty of mine.

"Oh." Millicent gave her a small, tentative smile. "Um, is it hard to learn?

"It depends on the person. I've always enjoyed the cold so naturally, I have a fondness for spells pertaining to ice and water.

A soft snort made Dee look past Goyle towards Pansy. The other blond was glaring at her through slitted eyes, her knuckles white around the goblet she was holding.

"Was there something you wanted to say, Parkinson?" Dee asked with a pointed look. As she met Pansy's gaze evenly, she lazily sipped at her pumpkin juice. She dared her to say something about her spell; the sheer hypocrisy would not be lost on their Housemates, not to mention that Dee held all the cards in the game since Pansy had cast an Unforgivable.

"No." She finally spat, turning back to her food with an angry snarl.

Dee would have felt guilty if it was her Pansy, but as this girl clearly wasn't, it didn't bother her in the least. Pansy and Hermione were her best friends, J.P aside, and she missed them. She lowered her head and looked down at her plate quietly. She missed Pansy's shy smiles and enthusiastic talks on flower arranging and Hermione's witty quips and verbal sparring.

"So are you really from an alternate world?" Millicent asked, snapping Dee out of her momentary slump.

Dee blinked and then nodded. "Yes, it's true. There was an accident between one of my classes and J.P and I were sent here.

"Who's J.P?

"He's that boy, over there." Dee pointed towards the Gryffindor table.

Blaise's face twisted into a look of disgust. "He's in Gryffindor?

"Yes, he is." Dee had a feeling that the Slytherins were just as prejudiced against the Gryffindors as Draco was.

"Which one is he?" Millicent asked, her eyes roving over the table curiously.

Dee caught Pansy sneering at the larger girl out of the corner of her eye and glared at her.

"He's the one with the messy black hair, sitting opposite that redhead, Ron Weasley.

"But that's Potter!" Blaise exclaimed.

"Yes, he is.

"You mean, that boy's Harry Potter? Where you come from?

"Yes, but I think you're meant to be calling him J.P in order to avoid confusion." Dee replied calmly as loud whispers broke out over the whole table as word got passed down.

"You mean to tell me, there's another Harry Potter here?" Blaise turned to Draco. "Did you know about this, Draco?

"Of course I did." Draco snorted with a faint twist of disgust on his lips.

"You associate with Gryffindors?" Pansy asked in obvious distaste.

"What I do is none of your concern, Parkinson." Dee replied coolly. "And I wouldn't insult him.

"Why not? Are you going to defend him?" Pansy mocked with a gleeful expression. This is just what she needed!

"Oh no, I'm not about to defend him. He can do that very well himself. I'm just warning you not to make fun of him to his face.

Pansy's face twisted scornfully. "Why? Will he cry?

"Oh no, he's more likely to blow you up." In more ways than one, she silently added. "He doesn't like people making fun of him.

"He must be a real wimp." Pansy scoffed.

Dee shrugged and sipped at her drink. "Fine, go ahead. It's not like I didn't warn you." She replied impassively. Her eyes were blank when she turned them to Pansy. "But if you die, don't blame me.

Pansy's mouth dropped open and she looked quite like a gaping fish. Millicent let out a stifled giggled and Pansy rounded on her with anger flashing in her blue eyes. "You stupid-

"Really, Parkinson," Dee drawled in Millicent's defence as she watched the girl cringe, "must you yell at the table? I'm sure you were taught better manners than that.

"Listen you little-

"Pansy." Draco's voice was like silk as he interrupted her. She snapped her mouth closed and wilted under his cold glance. "You're drawing attention to yourself." Draco snapped.

Pansy looked up and turned red when she realised that Draco was right and that students from the other tables were openly staring in her direction.

Just then, the Headmaster and Professors Snape and McGonagall strode into the room and took their places at the Head Table. Dumbledore remained standing and held his arms up.

"Children, if I may have your attention please." He waited until everyone was silent before he continued, "As you all know, there was an incident in the dungeons yesterday." He was interrupted by loud exclamations and he waved his hands for silence. "As I was saying, there was an incident in the dungeons that you are all familiar with by now. An accident in another world has brought us two new students. They will be remaining here in Hogwarts until a way home is found for them. Until then, I expect you all to treat them like you would treat your other classmates. Please welcome Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter." The two stood up when the Headmaster gestured towards them with a smile. Another outbreak of chatter broke out that was not quelled by the Headmaster's gestures for quiet.

Rising abruptly, Professor Snape bellowed, "Silence!" His voice echoed in the now silent room as he glared at all the students, save those in his own House, before taking his seat again.

"Ah, thank you, Severus. Now, as I was saying, their names are Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter. However, to avoid confusion we have come to a compromise. As you can see, this Draco Malfoy is female and as such, she prefers the name Dee. Harry Potter here has agreed to be called J.P. for the duration of his stay. Miss Malfoy is in Slytherin House and Mr. Potter is in Gryffindor. That will be all," he finished his speech and sat down to breakfast.

Dee sat down silently and shifted almost imperceptibly as all the eyes of the Slytherins rested on her. Sure, she loved attention, but she could practically _see_ the gears turning in all their heads as they looked at her.

"So..." Blaise said as he sat back, noting the tension between the people around him. "Do you play Quidditch?

Dee gave him a small smile, grateful for the conversation. "I'm a Seeker.

"Just like our Draco here!" He leant forward. "Is Pott... er, J.P a Seeker too?

She shook her head. "J.P. doesn't have the build for it; he's too muscular. Besides, he's too impatient and prefers to be in the middle of the action rather than hovering around the edges." Dee tilted her head and added, as an after thought, "And he likes to show off. Being a Seeker doesn't give him as much opportunity throughout the entirety of the game. And he doesn't like having to concentrate on one thing for a long period of time; he has a rather short attention span in most cases." Dee replied mildly.

"But then who's the Seeker of his team?

"I am.

"But...

"There are no Houses where I come from." Dee explained. "As such, there is no reason for J.P and I to be on different teams.

"So you're on the same team as Potter?

"Well, yes. I do want to be on the winning team after all. The other five teams aren't as well matched as we are and we've been the current reigning champions since First Year.

"But you're on the same team as _Potter_." Blaise stressed the name, his eyes going wide at the thought of a Slytherin, a _Malfoy_ no less, was voluntarily working with Harry Potter.

"And we win," she gave a shrug. "I like to win. I would rather have him on my team than anyone else. He knows my signals and we work well together." She tilted her head. "And winning is everything. Why worry about something as trivial as rivalries when I can win?

"Definitely has the Malfoy ambition." Millicent murmured.

"Why, thank you Millicent." Dee beamed. Millicent flushed and nodded shyly.

Draco sat back and watched the interaction between Dee and Millicent with something akin to amazement. He'd never seen the stocky girl blush, let alone smile, but Dee had her doing both. It wasn't that he liked Millicent, but after having watched her ground under Pansy's heel for so long, he couldn't help but feel... pride? to see her not cowering. It was rather refreshing. Not to mention that it riled Pansy to no end. He gave her a look of sardonic amusement as he watched her fume silently, a flush of anger high on her cheeks. At least Millicent knew when to leave someone alone.

Draco saw movement from the edge of his peripheral vision and turned to see J.P. approaching their table, the Gryffindor Trio following behind him. A sneer twisted Draco's lips as he rose.

"What are you doing here?

J.P. looked taken aback but sneered right back at him. "What business is it of yours?

Draco drew back in surprise. J.P was definitely more aggressive that Harry. His eyes flickered to the other Gryffindor's and saw that they were just as surprised as he was.

"Now, now. That's enough of that." Dee murmured as she got up. "What is it, J.P?

"Do you want to go flying?" J.P asked.

"But we don't have any brooms.

"We could use the school brooms.

Dee's nose wrinkled in disgust. "I don't think so." She sat down again. "I'm not flying on those. They're awful.

"You can go flying. What difference does it make what kind of broom you're on?" There was a wheedling tone in his voice. He ignored the twitters of the other Slytherins and gave her a pleading look.

Dee raised an eyebrow at him. "They're school brooms." She said slowly. "They're _school brooms_.

J.P wondered how she managed to fill those two words with so much distaste. "Aw, come on! It's not like you haven't flown on them before.

Dee sniffed, affronted at the reminder. "That was a different matter entirely.

Despite having prior knowledge about their relationship, Draco couldn't help gaping at their interaction. They were _teasing_ each other. Well, Dee was teasing J.P, from the warmth in her eyes.

"But it'll be boring without you!

There was a spattering of giggling from the lower Years at the pleading looking in J.P's eyes.

"Then be bored. I'm not going to lower myself to using those pathetic excuses they call brooms." Dee retorted.

"I'll stop bugging you.

"No you won't." Dee said.

J.P looked rather put out by her reply and huffed. He turned to Draco. "You're a Malfoy, right? That means you've got to have the best. Do you have a broom she could borrow? 

That snapped Draco out of his daze and he snarled. "Now see here-

"Well, do you or don't you?" J.P cut him off impatiently.

"Don't be rude, J.P." Dee said as she rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's antics. "Try to show a little restraint.

"But I'm bored." He moaned theatrically. His eyes slid to her lasciviously. "I haven't seen you all morning.

Pansy took the opportunity to jump in. "How pathetic, you're dating a Gryffindor?

J.P rounded on Pansy, his eyes flashing with anger. "What was that?" he hissed at Pansy. His fists rested on his hips as he leant towards her in an intimidating manner, using his superior height to his advantage.

Pansy started at the fury in his voice and her eyes widened in fear.

Dee's hand shot up and he subsided immediately, something that wasn't lost on Draco. "J.P, there's no need for that." She murmured as she stroked his arm. She turned her attention back to Pansy with a cool smile. "I'll go flying with you." She gave Draco a small, apologetic smile. "I'll see you later.

"Wait!" Draco said impulsively as she turned away. "I fly around this time as well, I'll come with you.

"That would be nice.

"What? He can't come!" Ron spluttered. "It's bad enough that there's going to be one Slytherin there!

"Get off it already!" J.P said in exasperation as he threw his hands up.

Draco sneered. "I don't need your permission, Weasel," he snapped.

"Why-

"Leave it Ron. Let him come if he wants," Harry gave Draco a level look. "If he does anything, we can just take care of it then.

To say that Draco was surprised by Harry's... amicability, considering their relationship was obvious. He gaped at him for a moment before frowning and eyeing him with suspicion. "What's this?

Harry shrugged. "We're almost adults now, it's about time we got past this bickering," he turned to J.P. and nodded towards the doors. "So, are we going?

"Sure.

Harry nodded and they left the hall. Draco watched them for a moment before cursing under his breath and following. Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise moved after him and Pansy's petulant whining faded into the background as they got further away from the Great Hall. Draco made a quick stop at his rooms to pick up his Firebolt.

"Why are we following them?" Blaise asked as he fell into step with Draco.

"Maybe we'll be able to see if they have any plans for the upcoming Quidditch match." Draco muttered. In truth, he wanted to know what had caused Harry's sudden change in attitude. That and he wanted to keep an eye on Dee. There was something distinctly different about her and he needed to figure it out.

"Ah, I see. Always looking at the big picture, eh Malfoy?" Blaise grinned as sat down on the seats near the bottom of the Slytherin stands to watch. Crabbe and Goyle followed suit when Draco waved them away.

"Yeah, bigger picture." Draco said as he looked around and saw that Harry and Ron had already taken to the sky and were gesturing for J.P. and Dee to follow them. He scowled darkly and kicked off the ground and levelled himself with the other two boys. He speared them with a haughty glare before looking back down towards the couple still on the ground.

"J.P., these brooms are atrocious," Dee said in a scathing manner as she looked with distaste at the broom in her hand. She unclasped her robe and draped it over the back of a bench.

"They're _school _brooms, what did you expect," from the sound of his voice, it was obvious that J.P. had heard this sort of thing before but that didn't stop him from giving her a fond look as she sniffed at him and walked to the middle of the field. She gave one last look at her pathetic broom before she straddled it and kicked off gracefully. She tilted her head up and then waved at Draco and circled lazily until she was next to him. "I love flying. It's very relaxing." She leant back slightly and closed her eyes.

"Yes, it is. I've always enjoyed flying at night." Draco replied quietly, not wanting the others to hear.

"Oh, that's the best time to fly. You can try to catch the stars." Dee smiled with her eyes closed.

"Dee," J.P. had come up behind them and was looking at Draco warily, "Let's go. Harry and Ron are waiting.

"Fine," she turned to Draco and waved him over as she followed behind J.P. "Come on Draco, let's go.

Draco slowly flew after her, keeping his distance from the other boys but close enough to her so that she wasn't insulted.

"So, Harry, what position do you play?" Dee asked. She moved into a position that allowed her to get a close look at him. He was shorter than her J.P. by maybe an inch or two and not as well muscled, though by no means skinny. His eyes were more haunted and serious than J.P.'s however and Dee felt a stab of sympathy for him. He must have had a very sad life indeed for him to look so old before his time.

"Er, I'm the Seeker for Gryffindor." Harry blinked when she smiled slightly and a glint lit up her eyes.

"Really? I'm a Seeker too," she tilted her head. "How do you practice?

"I try to see if I can borrow the the snitch from Madam Hooch but if I can't, I practice manoeuvres and broom control.

"I see.

"How do you practice?

"I get Uncle Severus to create a Shade for me to play against.

"Uncle Severus?" Ron looked a little ill and Dee gave him a bemused look.

"Yes, Uncle. He's the half brother of my father," she paused. "Well, in my world he is.

"So what's a Shade?" Harry asked curiously.

"A Shade is a solid shadow that can perform given tasks. They're very handy in a lot of situations.

"I can imagine." Harry's face looked thoughtful. He imagined how good practice could be if he had someone, or something as the case would be, to play against.

"I wonder..." Dee eyed Harry with a playful gleam in her eyes and smiled slowly. "You wouldn't be interested in a little friendly competition would you? I don't want to get behind on my practice.

---------------------------------

1 aren't they/Isn't it (or something to that effect... LOL)

Again, as always, I would like to thank my lovely beta **lilypurewhite**. She's been incredibly helpful to me and I will always appreciate her help! Thanks so much! huggles

Now, as a word of warning, I may not be able to update as much as I'd like in the following weeks cuz I'm doing my exams right now and I have a part time job lined up. I need money... I'm so broke after buying all my anime and manga... Okay, if I didn't buy all of my beloved anime, I'd be a gazillionaire, but that's beside the point. Everyone has an addiction, mine just happens to be anime. sighs dreamily There are so many _hot_ guys in anime! LOL But back to the point at hand! I will be updating at least once a month, so no worries, but I can't promise anything faster than that!

beams proudly On a happy note, I just got my Japanese speaking test results back and I got 13.5/15! Isn't that fantabulous? I know I reckon it's fantabulous! LOL I'm so happy! Happy huggles to everyone! Due to my happiness, I've gotten a HUGE burst of inspiration and I have been able to get the next chapter of FS done! All you have to do is wait a bit while I get it back from lilypurewhite and then it'll all be good! happy huggles all around

Now, time to thank my beloved reviewers! I love you people! massive huggles

**Reigning Devil**: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like it. I hope this was fast enough for you! LOL

**lauza**: blushes I'm glad you think it's so good! LOL You're too kind. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you have all the others! And don't worry; this is one of my few fics that I actually plan on finishing! ;; Just don't tell anyone else that I don't have anything else for the other fics... LOL Not that anyone reads them

**NettieT**: I'm glad you like Dee. She's so funny. LOL I hope she acts like Draco... Well, a nicer, less snarky version of my beloved blond Slytherin! LOL Yup, J.P.'s a delectable sorta guy! LOL He's kinda what I image Harry would have been like if he hadn't been left with the Dursleys (Good gravy, what _was_ Dumbledore thinking?!) Hm, there's a bit more Harry and Draco here, but to be honest, the next big bit with those two won't be until chapter 10! But don't worry, that bit will focus on those two! Hope you like the chapter!

**Squifi**: I'm glad you like the but with the other world people! LOL It was actually a bit I wrote ages ago but kinda forgot about cough lazy sod cough LOL Yeah, see I don't like the description of the Veelas in HPverse, though I can understand it. I actually ripped my Veelas off the Ryujin from Tekuu no Escaflowne (a kinda okay anime, though the movie was much better. LOL). They were a race of superior beings who liked to try and do all this stuff they shouldn't have cough change the future cough They had these _beautiful_ wings that I just love. They're normally white, but if the Ryujin is dying, their wings go ebony black. Very dramatic, I think. They also wore these pretty robes (that's what I got from the pics anyways... LOL) and look generally cool. Well, except for the whole cursed race thing, they're rather interesting. LOL Well, in the Ôreal' HPverse, I'm taking it that they do have French blood, Malfoy is a French name after all, but as to whether or not they're really French French... Well, I don't think I'll do it that way. cackles in a hopefully creepy manner Who am I kidding, I'm nto scary at all. Heck, _little kids_ laugh at me! TT LOL Anyways, yeah, the letter sender... Who could they possibly be?! The mystery of it all! To be honest, I don't know. LOL Or do I? O.o LOL Yeah, I know who it is, but I'm not telling yet! Personally, I see Voldie as a bit of reject. I mean, he can't even kill a baby, how pathetic is that? See, most dudes, to get the most satisfaction out of a situation, would prolly use a more brutal way of killing someone and if he had, Harry would not be gracing us with his presence. However, I am under the delusion that he can be evil in a sufficiently creepy manner so I have portrayed him as such. LOL Yeah, Opposite of Sex was meant to be updated a few months after the last update... but I reckon it won't be updated for a while, if ever sigh I love that fic too. Ah well, one can only hope, ne? Thanks for the encouragement! I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Heart and Soul**: I'm glad you think the plot's original! It's great that you think so cuz that's what I've been aiming for! Really? FF? That's an interesting thing... Hopefully I'm not copying anything! And Broken Sky? I've never heard of that. Is it good? Who's the author? Oh, you couldn't open Ch.5? Do you want me to send it to you? Just e-mail me, I'd be happy to! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**Anon**: rubs her neck I hope you don't mind, but I tweaked my fic a bit to suit what you suggested, the thing about the Ultimate Major and minor thing. It sounds a lot better than what I had before ;; LOL Actually, now that you mentioned it and good on you for saying it, I was planning on having a bit of fun with Dee and J.P.'s spells. Have you ever played Warcraft III? There's a combination thing that I love watching my bro do when he plays. He calls it Showtime. LOL It's when the Archmage casts a Blizzard right after the Bloodmage casts his Mark of Fire. It's all very pretty and kills a lot of things. LOL Thanks for you review! I'm glad you think it's unique! I hope you continue to do so and that you enjoyed the chapter!

**Brenna8**: Yeah, I'm pretty much right up to the point that I stopped at before. You remembered! LOL I think I posted a similar chapter to this one just before I stopped last time. I think it's better this time around. LOL I hope you liked the chapter!

**Sparkling Whimsies**: Thanks for the corrections! I really appreciate it. And thanks for looking over the other chapter for me. LOL Funky grammar! LOL Thanks for the compliments! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**Mara202**: I'm glad you found the last chapter interesting! I can only hope you found this one just as entertaining! Thanks for you review.

**Lucidity**: Thanks for the review and the compliments! I really appreciate it! LOL I'm glad you thought it was funny. I was hoping it would be amusing! Hope you liked the chapter! Ah, lost, huh? I hope you find it, it's a great read!

**Mon2**: Glad you liked the last chapter! I enjoyed writing it too! LOL Yeah, The wings have been explained! Finally! LOL I always thought that if James and Lucius had met under less... Well, hostile circumstances, they'd be more like rivals than anything else. Besides, it's funny to make them like that. Reminds me of me and my cousin who shall remain nameless cough cough LOL rubs her neck I haven't thought quite that far yet, but I do intend to have a bit something akin to the parents from both worlds meeting, though I'm not quite sure to what extent it will go to. And I haven't made it that Lucius is completely cold towards his son. He could surprise you! LOL I will put more H/D soon enough in the next chapter (though it does focus a lot on Dee's relationship with Voldie) and the following one after that. But don't worry! I will have a lot of H/D soon enough! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Claimed is something that's similar to soul bonding, though it doesn't require you to be soul mates and isn't necessarily romantic. Hm... I explain it all in due course, not to worry! And besides, if J.P. tried to marry Dee now, Lucius would skin him alive and Narcissa and Lily would prolly sulk for not being able to plan the wedding. LOL

**ScaryAnna**: LOL Thanks for the tip. I do appreciate the criticism. I don't suppose you could e-mail me so I can send any more French phrases through you before I make a complete fool of myself again? LOL I hope you liked reading it though. Sorry if it was painful for you! ;; I hope you liked this chapter!

Please feel free to R&R/C&C! Take care, savvy?

DW


	9. Things just got a bit more complicated

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**E-mail:** Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are one of a kind. Maybe. Alternate worlds are meant to stay separate but not everything turns out the way they're supposed to. How much trouble can two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters get into? Especially when someone decides to up the ante and make things a whole lot worse for them all. Slash, het. HP/DM, HP/DM, RW/HG and more.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though).

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it.

Blah.thoughts

_Blah._ Writing

"Blah." Talking.

Denotes a change of scene

Big spaces between paragraphs show a change of perspective.

_Blah. _Things that are all in italics are flash back scenes.

**!WARNING!**

**Okay, there's a flashback scene in this chapter that has rather graphic violence. This fic is rated R for a reason! I hope I don't make anyone feel ill or anything, but I just though I'd warn you. If you don't like graphics violence, I suggest you skip from the beginning of the flashback scene to the end of the chapter. **

**!END WARNING!**

**Flip Side**

Chapter Nine: Things just got a bit more complicated 

"I don't think that's a good idea..." Harry replied uncertainly, referring to Dee's suggestion that they play against each other. He saw the flash of disappointment in her eyes and rushed to explain. "Your broom. It's not exactly on par with mine."

"True." She looked down at her broom with annoyance. "It's a pathetic excuse of a broom." She tilted to the side and sneered when it wobbled timidly in response. "My Hurricane could strip the bristles off it."

"We could just fly around." J.P suggested as he floated closer to Dee.

"Well, I suppose that's all we can do now, isn't it?" Dee muttered before turning her broom around sharply and floating closer to Draco with a huff.

"I didn't mean to annoy her." Harry said with a troubled expression on his face. It seemed that he annoyed any Draco Malfoy, no matter what world he were from.

"Don't worry about it, mate." J.P said with a shrug as he watched Dee lean towards Draco, speaking to him softly, her face turned away from them. "She's not very happy. We were supposed to be having team practice today but, obviously, we can't have it. It's always been her stress reliever at the end of the week. And I think she's a little stressed about our situation." He looked after her with a dropping of his shoulders as she and Draco moved further off, circling the pitch slowly. "I just don't know how I can help her. She's always been the brighter one."

"Don't sell yourself short." Harry said soothingly.

"So what are we going to do?" Ron asked as he levelled himself with them. "The Malfoys seem to be getting along just dandy by themselves." He jerked his chin towards the blondes to emphasise his point.

"Just practice flying, I guess." J.P looked down at his broom doubtfully. "But Dee's right. These brooms aren't anywhere near the standard of our Hurricanes."

Draco watched as Dee approached, her expression disappointed. "What's wrong?"

She waved a hand dismissively and settled beside him, her hands gripping the handle of her broom tightly. "Nothing." She murmured. She looked up and nodded towards the far side of the pitch. "Want to fly with me?"

Draco nodded slowly and floated slowly along beside her. He could tell she was upset about something and glared over at the trio of boys she had just left. Harry caught his gaze and looked away guiltily and his gaze narrowed. What had that idiot done now?

"He didn't do anything, if that's what you're wondering." Dee said. There was a hint of amusement in her voice as she gave him a sideways glace. "He's an awfully sweet boy. He's not the one I'm annoyed at."

"Sweet!" Draco choked out and rounded on her, his own broom dipping in alarm.

"Oh yes." She nudged him with her shoulder playfully. "A bit too earnest for my taste, but definitely sweet." She smiled. "And those glasses are rather cute."

Draco sputtered unintelligibly. "But-you-J.P.-what!" He finally burst out in confusion.

Dee threw her head back and laughed. Draco liked the way her large eyes warmed with good humour and the way her straight, white teeth flashed behind her full pink lips. It struck him as an incredibly welcoming image.

"What?" Draco asked with a small pout and no small amount of confusion. Just a moment ago, she'd been sullen, and now she was... was she teasing him?

She turned twinkling eyes to him. "Come now Draco, there's nothing wrong with admiring beauty." She nodded towards Harry and J.P. "J.P. and Harry are both beautiful, though in different ways. Wouldn't you agree?" She murmured. "Aesthetically speaking, of course." She added when it looked like Draco was about to explode.

Draco scowled. "You have horrible taste." He sniffed as he sneered at the two males she mentioned.

She shrugged and swung her right leg over the broom so she was riding side-saddle. "Beauty is beauty." She replied enigmatically.

"What are you doing?" Draco snapped as he instinctively moved closer to her in case she fell.

"Nothing, I'm bored." She frowned slightly and rubbed at her forehead but shrugged and turned back to him. "What do you usually do for fun?"

"Torture some Hufflepuffs." Draco replied automatically.

Dee smiled. "Really? They do seem rather timid." She replied thoughtfully. "They seemed rather horrified at the thought of another Draco Malfoy." She laughed again and shook her head and gave him a mischievous smirk. "I'll bet it's fun."

Draco blinked before smiling back and nodding. "It can be rather amusing. They get worked up over the smallest things."

"Mm. I can imagine." She tilted her head back and looked at the sky, her eyes closed against the glare of the sun and sighed deeply. Her face twitched slightly and she frowned. Something wasn't right. Something was about to happen.

Draco hesitated, unsure as to whether he should ask her what was bothering her, or stay silent.

Dee spoke abruptly, her expression blank. "Let's go see what they're up to." Dee said as she slowly spun around and started to fly back to the other boys. Draco scowled again, but followed after her.

"I thought you said you were going to practice flying, J.P." Dee said as she approached them.

"Well, we talked a bit, and maybe a friendly game wouldn't go amiss." J.P. replied, watching her carefully.

She ignored his watchful gaze and raised an eyebrow. "On this pathetic excuse of a broom? I'd rather not die by falling off the wretched thing."

"It's not like you could actually fall." J.P. murmured with a smile. He continued in a louder voice. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"And how exactly are we going to play this? We have five people. It doesn't split evenly, not to mention that we have three Seekers, one Keeper and one Chaser," she paused and looked at Ron, "You _are_ a Keeper, aren't you Weasley?"

"Er, yeah." Ron replied, surprised at her civil tone.

"See? It doesn't quite work out." Dee finished.

"Well, I hadn't thought of that." J.P. admitted sheepishly. "Well, like I said, maybe we could race around? Y'know, see who goes faster."

She gave him an incredulous look. "Are you serious? J.P., we are flying on _school brooms_. It's obvious who's going to lose."

"Then we can just race each other and let the other guys race against each other."

"I guess that could work." Dee replied a little doubtfully. "But still, we're not going to be able to go very fast."

"Think of it as training." J.P. coaxed. "It'll be fun."

"All right, I'll give it a go." Dee agreed. She turned to Draco. "Is that okay with you? I'm sure you'll do well with your broom." She eyed the shining wood wistfully.

"I'm not racing that ferret." Ron sneered.

"You'd lose anyway!" Draco snapped back. "Your straggly broom would probably fall to pieces in my wake."

"Why you-"

"It's just a friendly race, nothing's at stake." Harry broke in quietly. He hovered slightly closer to Draco and turned to Ron. "It might be fun. Flying is flying, no matter who you're with."

"I like you." J.P. said with a grin and a nod at Harry. "My sentiments exactly."

"You mean, when we fly together, you don't actually care it's me?" The mock outrage in Dee's voice lightened the mood considerably as she jostled her boyfriend's knee playfully. "Thanks, nice to know you care."

"That's not what I meant!" J.P. replied, his eyes going wide. He reached over and rubbed his thumb over her cheek. "I appreciate every moment we have together."

"Good." Dee said as she smiled fondly at him.

Draco glowered at the scene. "Are we going to fly or not?"

"Getting impatient for Harry to beat you?" Ron sneered.

"Hardly. I thought you'd be less eager for me to run you into the ground." Draco replied in a saccharine voice that made Ron grit his teeth in anger.

"Listen you little-"

"I think we should start racing now." Dee broke in as she glided between them, her leg brushing against Draco's.

He settled for a sneer in Ron's direction before calming down. "Fine."

"Come on J.P., let's start." Dee lined herself up with one of the markers of the Quidditch field and waited for J.P. to do the same. The other three boys floated out of the way and waited for them to start.

"Who's going to referee?" J.P. asked idly as he floated after her.

"I'll do it." Draco said as he moved forward a little, sneering at Ron as he did so when the redhead muttered under his breath.

"All right." Dee nodded and leant forward, her body aligning itself to her broom. She watched J.P. doing the same from the corner of her eye and smirked slightly. She could already feel the adrenaline building. Her hands twitched impatiently as she silently urged Draco to hurry up.

As though he had heard her, Draco raised a hand. "Ready. Set. Go!" His hand slashed downwards and the two shot off. Well, as much as they could with their brooms.

"_Pathetic_." Dee hissed in contempt as she pressed herself closer to her broom in an attempt to lessen the drag. She felt the broom speed up slightly, but not enough for her taste, and it seemed like an eternity before they finally reached the goal posts. She twisted around on her broom and shot to the side as she rounded the goal post at the other end of the field. She heard J.P. curse behind her as she turned before him and he scrambled to catch up. It brightened her mood slightly.

"Aw man!"

She turned her head and was about to respond when pain, like nothing else she'd ever felt before, flared in her head and her hands slipped from her broom as she slapped them to her forehead with a pained cry. She ground the heel of her palm against the spot that burned and didn't even feel a change of orientation as she toppled off her broom.

"Dee!" J.P. looked on in horror as she fell off her broom with a cry. He urged his broom forward, vaguely aware of a panicked cry from the other side of the pitch. He leant forward desperately but even as he did so, he knew he wouldn't reach her in time.

"Open your wings! Merlin, open them!" He screamed as he watched her plummet towards the ground.

Dee could hear J.P.'s voice but she couldn't move. She felt her body curling into a foetal position and the rush of wind past her face but she couldn't move, all she could do was sob in pain as her head felt like it was going to explode. Another flare of agony hit her and she screamed, her head thrown back as she turned, falling head first, her hands still pressed against her head.

J.P. swore and threw a hand in front of him. "_IGNIS PREASUL!_"

Draco watched as Dee rounded the goal posts, far ahead of J.P. and smirked. Despite her rather sorry broom, she was doing very well. But suddenly, pride turned to horror as she slipped and fell.

"Harry!" Draco's head whipped around at Ron's panicked exclamation and he watched as a pained grimace twisted the raven-haired boy's face. The redhead was shaking Harry's shoulder but Harry wasn't even paying attention to him. His eyes were clenched shut, as he took several, gasping breaths.

"Get out! Get out of my head!" Harry cried as he buried his face in his hands, his fingers clenching in his hair in pain.

Draco's eyes widened as he noticed the almost invisible stirrings of magic around Harry.

"Come on Harry, let's get you down to the ground." Ron reached out again, but there was a burst of magic from Harry and the redhead was shoved violently away. Ron let out a startled cry and hung onto his broom tightly to prevent himself from falling off. He cursed as he was spun off into a far corner of the field.

"Merlin." Harry hissed as he clutched at his head. To Draco's horror, blood seeped out from between his fingers to slide down the side of his face. Harry's eyes widened before they went blank and he crumpled, toppling off his broom in the same manner as Dee had.

Draco didn't know why he did it, he didn't even think about it, but he reached out desperately and grabbed at Harry's collar as the larger boy fell. He grunted as his broom dipped a foot in order to compensate for Harry's added weight and he twisted his body in a vain attempt to lessen the pressure on his shoulder as he tried to drag the Gryffindor onto his broom in front of him. After much struggling and cursing, he finally managed to do it. He cringed as the larger boy sobbed in pain and Draco skilfully took them both to the ground. The Slytherin touched down lightly and dismounted carefully so he wouldn't jolt the suffering boy. Harry stumbled and fell against him, knocking them both to the ground.

"Harry! Get off, you're heavy." Draco wheezed as he struggled into a sitting position. He sighed, though he wasn't quite sure if it was from regret or relief, when Harry pushed up and off of him, though he let out a small sound of surprise when he found himself being hauled into Harry's lap. The dark haired boy groaned in pain and pressed his tear-wet face into the juncture of the blond's neck and shoulder. Draco felt his hot breath on his skin and froze, unsure of what to do.

"Please don't go." Harry whispered hoarsely between his sobs. "Stay. You make it better." He pressed his lips against the skin near his mouth and tightened his arms around Draco.

Draco didn't know what to say, but Harry's trembling and sobs had receded and he couldn't do more than sit there, wrapped in Harry's arms. He slowly wrapped his own arms around the shaking boy and pressed his face into his shoulder, murmuring soft words of encouragement.

J.P. barely heard the cry of a phoenix as Aurelia burst into life behind him. She felt the urgency in his summons and sped towards the falling figure, her huge wings outstretched as she reached out urgently.

He felt himself straining with his Fire Dancer as she flapped her wings once, twice and then caught up with Dee's falling form. She tucked the girl close to her as she stopped their rapid descent and touched down lightly. She had managed to catch the girl a mere two meters before she would have hit the ground.

"Dee!" J.P. cried as he leapt off his broom before it had even stopped moving and stumbled towards them. Aurelia gently placed her in his arms as he knelt down on the ground.

"Dee?" He questioned, his eyes widening with worry as he took in her white complexion and, most of all, the blood that seeped from between her fingers from where her hands was pressed against her forehead.

"Please stop." She sobbed and J.P. looked her over for any kind of sign of a wound.

"Dee, baby, please tell me what's wrong." He asked in a hoarse voice as she continued to cry out and writhe in his arms. "Please!" He shouted when no answer was forthcoming.

"Make him stop!" She cried, her eyes opening for a moment.

"Who?" His voice was desperate as he noticed the sheer terror in those swirling silver depths.

"You killed them!" Her scream echoed in the air before she suddenly went limp.

"Dee!"

"_What's wrong Mr. Avery?" Dee asked innocently as the seven year old looked up at the man. _

_Large hands pulled her roughly from the floor where she had been playing and she let out a startled cry as she was crushed up against his body. She squirmed uncomfortably but he didn't seem to notice._

"_Mr. Avery! You're-you're hurting me." She gasped out. He didn't reply, but his grip loosened slightly and she curled her hands into his robes, trying to get a better view of what they were so worried about. She blinked her eyes rapidly and watched as everything changed colour. She looked up at her father's friend and watched as his dark green aura wavered slightly._

"_Get her out of here!" Nott cried as he held up a trembling hand and pointed it at the door. Sweat beaded on his upper lip and his licked it away absently, his eyes glued to the entrance to the room._

"_We can't! Lucius' wards are preventing us from Apparating!" The heavyset man snapped in annoyance. Goyle glowered as he felt something building up on the other side of the door. _

"_Then how are we-"_

_Screams ripped through the air and the three arguing Aurors looked towards the large double doors, their faces pinched with trepidation. There were dozens of other Aurors behind those doors and for them to scream like that... None of them wanted to think about it. Dee looked towards the door too and stiffened in fear as tendrils of pure shadow seeped in from under the door. She watched in horrified fascination as they twisted and slid along the floor. She blinked rapidly and buried her face against Avery's robes in order to dispel what she had just seen._

"_Shit." _

"_Don't swear, Mr. Goyle." Dee murmured but the whispered admonishment went unnoticed as the three men started to run to the far side of the room. _

"_What are we going to do? We can't get out of here!" _

"_It's obvious that it was all just a trap!" _

_Suddenly, the din stopped and they all turned slowly towards the doors. It had become quiet. Too quiet._

"_Merlin." Nott breathed as he realised what that meant. _

_They all ducked, Dee crying out in fear, as the doors exploded outwards and Avery turned, shielding Dee with his body and grunted as sharp shards of wood pierced his heavy robes. _

"_Where is the pretty girl?" A soft voice enquired as a tall, handsome man stepped into the room. His narrowed crimson eyes looked around carefully until they landed on the foursome. His lips twitched up into a malicious smile as he watched them move into a protective formation. _

"_Ah, there's the happy little birthday girl." He purred as he walked closer to them, long shadows following after him. _

"_You can't have her." Avery spat as he pushed her behind him. _

"_What makes you three," the disdain was clear in his voice, " think you can stop me? You're nothing but a bunch of pathetic little worms." _

_His voice had become hard, grating and Dee cowered, pressing her face into Avery's robes. She felt his hands settle on her head comfortingly but she stayed cold. Everything had started to grow cold. _

"_We won't let you have her." Goyle snapped with his hands stretched out in front of him. _

_Voldemort smiled in amusement. "You honestly think that you have a chance against me? Be honest with yourselves here. There is an Earth mage, an Air mage and a Verdant mage. Do you think that you stand a chance against me? Me, the most powerful Shadow mage to have ever been born?" _

_The tension spiked and Dee could feel the magic bleeding into the air and Dee licked her lips in apprehension as her eyes darted between her father's friends and the stranger. There was something familiar about him, something in the way that he carried himself and she found herself leaning past the protective circle of the Aurors in order to get a better look. She squeaked when Nott tugged her backwards roughly. He gave her a soft apology but didn't let go of her collar. _

"_We might not be able to beat you, but Lucius will come." Avery replied confidently._

"_He's too busy. He and Potter won't be able to get here in time to save you."_

"_Then we'll just have to make sure that you don't get away, won't we?" Goyle sneered as he started to gather his aura. The air around him shimmered a soft cream colour threaded through with dark coffee brown. Avery and Nott summoned their own auras and the air was heavy with the combined deep green and shimmering yellow. _

_Dee buried her face in her hands in attempt to stop the light from blinding her. It was just too much for her immature body to handle and she settled for listening rather than seeing._

"_Pathetic." Voldemort sneered as he gathered his own aura. A corona of black surrounded him and it seemed to draw in every ounce of light in the room. "If you give her to me, I'll make sure that your deaths will be quick and as painless as possible. If not..." he shrugged and gave them a toothy smile, "Well, I'll leave it at that."_

"_You can't have her." Surprisingly, it was Nott who spat out the answer. His eyes had narrowed into slits and he had taken an aggressive stance, both hands outstretched in front of him. _

_Dee peeked between her fingers cautiously and watched as shadows began a morbid dance along the walls and floor. _

"_Very well then." Voldemort made a brief gesture with his hands and that was all it took. _

_Nott was the first to go down, his protective shield ripped to pieces like tissue paper. His scream of horror abruptly cut off as his head flew from his shoulders as one of the shadows sliced across him neatly. Goyle was splattered with blood but managed to launch a decent counter attack that involved ripping up the ground but that too was useless as he fell to his knees, his eyes wide and unseeing as he was gutted by a darting shadow in an obscene spray of blood. _

"_Labrusca impedio1!" The sudden burst of sweet smelling grapes heralded the vines that shot out of the ground to entangle Voldemort tightly. Avery snatched up Dee but didn't get very far as one of the shadows swooped low and sliced across his back. He let out an expletive and dropped her; his arms limp at his sides. _

_Dee let out a cry of pain as she hit the ground hard. She rolled onto her knees and shook her head dazedly. _

"_Run, Dee." He hissed as he weakly struggled to stay on his feet. _

"_Mr. Avery." She whimpered as she cowered, watching helplessly as blood from her three protectors started to seep across the floor and puddle around their bodies. _

_Avery gave her a sorrowful glance full of apology as he noted she was too scared to move. He only hoped that in another life he'd be able to make it up to her. "Run, child, get out of here." He whispered._

"_MR. AVERY!" Dee screamed as another shadow rose up behind him. _

_Avery didn't even have time to turn before an ebony blade exploded out of his chest, forced through his back. _

_Dee let out another horrified scream and scrambled backwards as he toppled towards her and fell to the floor with a wet thud. Blood splattered across her face and clothes. She raised a hand and wiped at her face and then looked at the blood on her hands with wide eyes. _

"_I told them to run away." Voldemort said lazily as he brushed off the limp vines that had been wrapped around him. He sauntered towards her, heedless of the blood he walked through. He knelt in front of her and tilted her face up to him, her expression still frozen in horror. "No need to look like that, pet. He died for a worthy cause. Don't worry; I'm not going to kill you. I had thought of just making you a mindless puppet and leaving you at your father's doorstep, but I see there are more things I can use you for." His lips twisted into a lascivious grin. "You're more beautiful than your mother and still young. I'm sure there are things we can do together." He stood abruptly, hauling her to her feet. _

"_You... They're all dead." Dee whispered, looking down at her father's friends, her eyes filling with tears. "You killed Greg's dad! You killed Mr. Nott and Mr. Avery!" She turned flashing silver eyes up at him. Her hair lifted in platinum waves as the innate magic around them started to charge._

"_What are you doing, girl?" Voldemort snapped as he tightened his grip on her arm. She didn't even flinch this time, despite the bruises that would mar her pale skin. "Stop it." He grit out as he shook her. _

"_You. You're a bad man." She felt something building up in her as tears gathered in her eyes. "You hurt my friends." Her body started to glow faintly, silver and emerald flashing and cracking in the air around her. _

_Voldemort stepped back hissing, dropping her quickly when a particularly nasty shock shot up his arm from where he had been holding her. He held his hand up to his face and stared at it in shock when he saw it had been burned, quite badly. It looked like his skin had peeled off from the palm of his hand. He took another step back as he heard crackling under his feet and looked down. The carpeted floor looked oddly solid, spiky even, and he suddenly realised what was happening. The carpet glistened unnaturally beneath the thick layer of ice that continued to grow towards him. He looked at the girl kneeling on the floor, her large eyes narrowed into slits as she watched him retreat from her. _

"_You're a bad man." She repeated, her hands moving to clasp each other in front of her chest, looking almost like she was praying. Her skin felt as though it was freezing, her breath coming out in soft puffs of mist in front of her, but her blood felt as though it was burning in her veins. She felt power sizzling at her fingerstips and she held her hands out, as though she was offering something to the man in front of her. A small, shimmering and incredibly unstable looking sphere of magic gathered between her palms. _

"_Stop it." He hissed, his eyes riveted on the magic she was gathering, fear trickling down his spine as he realised that she was generating almost as much raw power as her father. But she was just a child! How could that be possible? _

"_You killed them." She whispered. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks and she looked him straight in the eye. "You killed them!" Her scream echoed off the walls and everything went white._

"Why isn't she waking up?" J.P. snapped as he paced restlessly, his eyes glued on Dee's still figure. He stopped and touched her face lightly, his gaze worried as he took in her deathly pale skin and the bandage slowly soaking with blood on her head.

"Why isn't Harry getting up, either?" Ron asked. "And why are you still here, ferret?"

Draco sneered from his place against the wall but didn't reply. His gaze had been focused on Harry, who was lying on the bed next to Dee sleeping restlessly, but when J.P. had spoken his eyes flickered back to Dee.

J.P. noticed the way Draco's eyes lingered longer on Harry than Dee and gave him a small smile that Draco sneered at in reply. "Leave him be Ron, he's not doing any harm."

"What? J.P.-"

"He's probably here to see if Dee's okay." Hermione said, cutting Ron off. But she too had noticed Draco's lingering gaze and looked thoughtful.

"You will cease this yelling at once, Mr. Weasley." Madame Pomfrey said sternly as she bustled in from her office.

"He's just showing his concern, no need to worry Poppy." Dumbeldore murmured placatingly as he entered the infirmary. "I came as soon as Madame Pomfrey called. What happened?"

_When Dee woke up, she hurt all over and felt totally drained. Her head felt like someone was crushing it. She felt something cold against her elbow and she slit her eyes open. She was in a dark room, the walls shadowed by large torches that hung from the ceiling in a circular formation around her. The unfamiliarity of her surroundings brought tears to her eyes and she started to cry softly. Where was everyone? The air was heavy with latent magic and she struggled weakly. She let out a choked sob and tried to curl up, but she couldn't move her arms, the large manacles around her wrists stopped her from moving too much. _

"_Awake, my pet?" A cold, terrifyingly familiar, voice drawled from somewhere close to her._

"_Who are you?" She whimpered. A rustling sound indicated he was moving closer and she cringed. _

"_Ah, no need for that, pet." A long, cold finger stroked down her cheek and she twisted in an effort to avoid it. "Ah, none of that now." Those same fingers curled around her jaw and forced her head still. _

"_Why did you hurt them?"_

"_Because they were in my way." He replied smoothly. He sat down next to her, the high table she was lying on coming up to his waist. He tilted his head mockingly and watched her with his gleaming eyes. "Are you scared?"_

_She hesitated and looked up at him defiantly, even though her small body was tense with fear. "No, I'm not scared of you, you big bully!" She snapped. _

"_You should be." He brought his hand down sharply against her face and slapped her hard. _

"_Ow!" Tears squeezed out from the corners of her eyes. _

"_Ah, yes. Cry. You're beautiful when you cry, you know that?" His voice was closer and she shied away when he pressed his cold cheek against hers. _

"_Don't touch me! Maman says you can't touch if people tell you not to!"_

_Another hard slap made her whimper and his fingers dug into her jaw angrily. "Don't order me around, brat. You belong to me now."_

"_What do you mean?" She asked fearfully._

_He let out a harsh bark of laughter and shook his head down at her. "Your father won't be here in time to stop me from marking you as mine. And when he does... Well, even if he came to save you, you'd be a soulless doll devoted completely to me." _

"_Let me go." She whispered. She didn't understand what he had said, but she didn't like his tone and the dark look in his eyes. "Please."_

"_Yes, that's it. Beg me." His voice had a manic edge and she started to struggle again._

"_Please don't kill me."_

_He laughed again and smiled down at her, his lips drawing back from his teeth. "I'm not going to kill you." He hand moved back into her field of vision and she reared back instinctively. A wicked looking knife curved in his hand, the ebony blade gleaming with a sinister light._

"_Don't!" She let out a choked cry when he brought it closer to her face._

"_Do you know what this is, pet?"_

_She shook her head in the negative emphatically. _

"_Oh, come now. I'm sure your Uncle Severus," he fairly spat the name out and she glared at his slur on her beloved uncle, "has told you about his magic."_

_  
"No." She repeated._

"_Sure you do. It's an Umbra Lamnia2." He stroked the flat of the blade down her cheek and to the hollow of her throat._

"_Don't." Dee whimpered. More tears spilled down her pale cheeks and Voldemort caught several on his knife, looking wonderingly down at the crystal drops before shaking himself._

"_Yes, that's it, you're so beautiful when you cry." He hissed softly. He paused and seemed to sniff the air, his nostrils flaring slightly. He looked off to the side and let out a soft hiss. –The time has come.-_

_-Time for what?- Dee hissed back unknowingly and jumped at the matching sibilant sounds that escaped her. _

_Voldemort jerked back in genuine surprise and looked down at her. –You speak Parseltongue?- _

_-Parseltongue?­- _

"_I see your father hasn't taught you about your heritage." His expression darkened and he leant forward, pulling her head back roughly by her hair. He ran the tip of the blade down the arch of her neck. "I should have been the Heir to Slytherin, not you. You're not worthy to carry such a title!" _

"_What title?" She cried as she watched his hand move up, poising the knife near her forehead. _

"_Once I take your soul, you'll be mine, and with it, your power." He continued on, ignoring her interruption. "I will rule over everything and everyone shall bow to me." He leant back and started to chant under his breath, the sibilant consonants echoing eerily around the room. _

"_Stop it!" Dee said loudly as she blinked, watching in horrified fascination as one of the layers of magic leapt readily, hungrily around her. Glowing runes sprung to life around the walls and on her manacles and she twisted to watch them come to life, similar to a domino effect, one lighting up after the other. _

_He ignored her and his chanting grew louder, the air around him starting to move violently, tugging at his robes gleefully. _

_Dee shut her eyes tightly and started to cry in earnest. She didn't want to die. "Papa, Maman, Uncle, Harry!" She called out for her loved ones to save her. She could feel her blood pounding in her ears, the burning liquid setting her freezing limbs on fire, even as her skin felt like she would turn into ice. _

_**Do you want to go home?**_

_Dee blinked in surprise as a male voice whispered in her ear but when she turned her head, there was no one there._

_**Do you?**_

"_Yes." She replied quietly. _

_Voldemort didn't even notice she had spoken and continued to chant._

_**Will you let me help you?**_

"_You won't hurt me?"_

_**I could never hurt you.** The voice was soft, affectionate even. _

"_Do you promise?"_

_**I promise. I will help you, my Heir. **_

_She let out an inarticulate scream as power burst through her. She heard something crack and shatter and sat up, curling in on herself, clutching at her head as power continued to thrum through her. Winds buffeted her but she didn't care, she just wanted to go home and the voice promised he would help her. _

"_You're mine!" _

_Pain flared as something sharp sliced across her forehead and she brought her hands up protectively, throwing him off her with a surge of magic. "I want to go home!" She cried. She felt something snap inside of her and she screamed in agony, her back arching as huge white wings, longer than an adult man was tall, exploded out of her back, blood splattering the walls as they ripped their way through. An explosive wave of magic obliterated everything around her and she fell limply back onto the table. _

_Hot tears spilled down her face and her breaths came in sharp gasps, but she was too weak to do anything else. Something warm wrapped around her and lifted her off the table. She curled into the gentle embrace and pressed her face into the dark green robes. _

_**Sleep little one and let me watch over you.**_

"_You won't leave me alone?"_

_**I will stay for as long as I am needed.**_

"_Thank you." Dee murmured as she fell asleep. She felt something warm brush against her forehead and snuggled close. _

_She was still asleep when her father and James Potter found her almost an entire day later. Voldemort's body was almost unrecognisable, huge spikes of ice having burst through his body and almost cleaving it to pieces. _

Everyone leapt away from the bed when Dee reared up with a scream, her robes ripping to shreds as huge, pure white wings exploded out of her back, though there was no blood this time. They were taller than two grown men and arched gracefully above her, almost touching the ceiling. Feathers floated down as she fell back against the bed, breathing heavily.

Draco caught one of the feathers in his hand and an incredible wave of warmth spread over him. He curled his hand around it and placed in his pocket.

"Dee!" J.P. threw himself at her and grabbed her desperately. Her wings fluttered restlessly and settled down at her sides, folding neatly around them.

Dee opened her eyes and looked up at him with an odd mixture of awe and grief on her face. "Why didn't they tell me I killed him? And that Salazar saved me?"

1 Literally, 'wild grape vine entangle'

2 Shadow Blade

A great big hug and thank you to my beta **lilypurewhite**! She's so good to me! Always giving me advice and helping me! Thank you so much!

And now for my beloved reviewers:

**Heart and Soul**: Thanks a lot for the review! rubs her chin thoughtfully I see... Broken Sky sounds interesting! I'm glad you like chapter 5! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

**Britzy**: Thanks for the heads up. We've worked it out and it's all good. Thanks for telling me and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Squifi**: I'm glad you liked the Veelas from Dee's world, even though they're not mine. LOL You liked the dialogue! That's great! I've always thought that my dialogue kinda sucks... LOL Thanks for the ego boost! Ah, Pansy's only going to get worse, but Ron... Well, he'll come around eventually! LOL Thanks for the congrats! I'm so happy with it! Now, if I do reasonably well in my final exam, I should be all set! LOL I hope you liked this chapter!

**Brenna8**: Ah yes, the future... I do have a few ideas about Draco and Harry going to Dee's world, but they're just tentative ideas. It'll all work out in the end though! No worries!

**Slytherinkid07**: Ah yes, I hope there was enough H/D interaction here, and if there wasn't, next chapter's got quite a bit!

**Mon2**: LOL Yeah, I've always been under the impression that Harry's more slender than he should be, but I think Draco's smaller than Harry. Mm, yes, the Dursleys... Well, I'm not too sure about that, but you never know. See, I've got quite a bit of the major events done in my head, but the little bits in between aren't quite there yet so I reckon there could be a possibility of that happening. J.P. knows relatively more about the fairer sex than Harry cuz he's had opportunity to get to know them. Harry's always seemed... Not innocent, just sheltered. Okay, not sheltered, clueless. LOL But he always seems too busy to have a relationship in the books, not counting that woeful attempt at a relationship with Cho. Good gravy, I cannot believe how that went; it might not have been in there for all it did. Ah well. LOL Yeah, J.P. gave him advice, of course, it's up to Harry and Draco to make it work, ne? LOL

**Sheree**: Well, I'm calling him J.P. cuz that's who everyone's familiar with.

**ScaryAnna**: I'm so sorry, I didn't get the end of the address! I only got up to the ! I don't think I'll have that much French for a while, but it's good to know that I can ask you for some help! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**lucidity**: Thanks for the review! Yeah, I like J.P. too! LOL He's what I image Harry would have been like if he grew up with a loving and supportive family rather than the Dursleys. Thanks for the congrats! Hard work does pay off! LOL And a huge thanks for getting the chapter back to me so quickly! Unfortunateness has happened to prevent me from posting until now, but I really appreciate you getting it back to me so quickly and for your advice!

I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter and thanks to everyone who reviewed! The next one might take a bit to come out cuz I'm not very happy with it so far. And I've kinda gotten onto a new anime kick... ;; LOL But don't worry! It'll be out soon enough and hopefully you'll like it too!

Take care, savvy?

DW


	10. A few tips can’t go amiss!

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**E-mail:**

**Summary:** Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are one of a kind. Maybe. Alternate worlds are meant to stay separate but not everything turns out the way they're supposed to. How much trouble can two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters get into? Especially when someone decides to up the ante and make things a whole lot worse for them all. Slash, het. HP/DM, HP/DM, RW/HG and more.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though).

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it.

Blah.thoughts

_Blah._ Writing

"Blah." Talking.

--------------------- Denotes a change of scene

Big spaces between paragraphs show a change of perspective.

_Blah. _Things that are all in italics are flash back scenes.

-----------------------------------------------

**Flip Side**

Chapter Ten: A few tips can't go amiss! 

The two weeks since the Incident, as Harry liked to call it, had passed by sluggishly.

Harry sighed and copied down the notes from the board for the potion he was supposed to brew with J.P. He still didn't know what had happened on the Quidditch pitch, but it seemed that Voldemort had opened some sort of link between him and Dee. Harry, due to his own connection with the Dark Lord, had been able to see the memories that had poured from Dee's mind.

What he had seen had been horrific. He still cringed at the thought of all that blood and pain and fear. But there was still the puzzling feeling of comfort that Salazar Slytherin had provoked in him and the power that he had given to Dee when she had needed it. If the Salazar Slytherin of that world had helped his Heir, would this world's Salazar help _his_ Heir? And if he decided to, how could they possibly stand up to such power?

Harry shook, himself and picked up his knife and started to cut the round green thing that J.P. presented to him before he went back to stirring the thick substance that threatened to bubble up over the lip of the cauldron. He looked down at the... well, he wasn't sure what it was. It looked a bit like a cucumber, but as soon as he cut it, it collapsed in on itself like a balloon and started to ooze viscous dark green fluid. Harry stared down at it mute horror and glanced at J.P. for reassurance.

"Was it supposed to do that?"

J.P. flicked his eyes down to the disgusting mess of greenery and nodded. "Yeah, don't worry about it. I got pretty freaked out too when it just deflated like that when I first tried it too. It's lucky you didn't stab it like I did." J.P. chuckled. "It exploded all over me and covered me with this gross goo. Just cut it up and it'll be fine."

"Uh, okay." After several moments of staring at it uncertainly, Harry begun to cut it carefully. But it didn't take long for his mind to drift away from the task at hand.

At least something good had come out of the Incident, he mused silently. He had gotten to hold Draco. Harry had been delightfully surprised when Draco had wrapped his arms around him and had tried to and comfort him. And the Slytherin's face had been the first face he had seen when Harry had awakened.

Harry watched as the said boy carefully sliced something before tipping it into the large bubbling cauldron in front of him. He knew that the silver hair that slid across the boy's forehead felt like silk, and that those heavy dark lashes could spread like fans against that ivory skin. He could vividly remember the mixed vanilla and rain scent that clung to Draco and the warm, solid feel of the other boy in his arms.

He was quite jealous of Dee as she stood close to Draco, murmuring quietly to him as they prepared their potion. Ever since J.P. and Dee had started classes, Snape had paired the two Malfoys together and the Potters together. He was under the impression that J.P. was as hopeless at potions as Harry was. He'd been unpleasantly surprised when he discovered that J.P. wasn't a complete incompetent and could actually brew a decent potion by himself.

"Harry, uh, I don't suppose you're done mutilating that poor puffer lichen1 are you?"

Harry blinked and pushed his glasses up his nose as he turned to see J.P. looking pointedly at the green mush that he had been cutting. "What?"

"I don't think they deserved to be mushified like that." J.P. said with a raised eyebrow and a twinkle in his eyes, as if he knew exactly what was bothering the other brunette.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing." Harry murmured with a slight blush, even as his eyes wandered back to the person who had distracted him.

"Has he said anything to you?" J.P. asked casually as he picked up the green stuff and dumped it into the cauldron carelessly. He leant away from the ensuing smoke and waved away the fumes. It was lucky that Snape was too preoccupied with menacing Neville to notice and the smoke died away quickly when J.P. added a pinch of ground fish scales.

"About what?" Harry asked as he looked back at Draco.

"Y'know, about what happened."

"Oh. No, not really. He hasn't talked to me since." Harry replied miserably. "I was hoping that maybe he'd be a little more... I don't know, I thought he might like me too." He shrugged and pushed his glasses back up his nose. "He seemed like he cared, like he really cared."

"I wouldn't let it get to you." J.P. replied gently. "He probably doesn't know how to act around you any more. Especially since you called him an angel when you woke up." J.P. chuckled and jostled Harry.

Harry blushed deeply and smiled back slightly. "Yeah, I guess I might have been embarrassed if that happened to me."

"Not to mention that kiss! And I thought Dee knew how to catch me unawares!" J.P. snickered. "He looked like a beater had just hit a bludger into his head!"

Nodding slowly, Harry made a small noise of agreement. Draco had looked rather dazed when Harry had finally released his hold on those silvery strands and those soft lips had been delightfully pink and matched the flush that had suffused the smaller boy's cheeks. He felt his own cheeks start to warm as he remembered how he had tasted and how pliant those lips had felt under his own. He shivered in arousal.

"Hey, none of that."

"Huh?" Harry asked, blinking owlishly as reality came crashing back.

"You're thinking about that kiss and it's getting you all flushed. You don't want Snape to ask you why you look like that, do you? Not to mention Ron."

Harry fought down his blush and took a deep breath. "That wouldn't be too good."

"Hey, do you think our potion is supposed to be this orange?" J.P. asked out of the blue as he continued stirring it. It had become considerably thinner and seemed more like a watered down soup as it bubbled gently.

Harry looked around, craning his neck so he could see Draco and Dee's own potion. "Er, well Draco's potion is mauve."

They both looked down at theirs and then back to the cauldron of the silver pair. "I think we did something wrong." J.P. said unnecessarily. He looked down at the instructions he had copied down and frowned slightly. "Do you think we added something too early or too late?"

"Maybe it was that thing I was chopping." Harry said guiltily.

J.P. shook his head slowly. "No, it doesn't really matter what you do to puffer lichen. It keeps its properties no matter how you prepare it."

Harry gave him a weird look before he remembered that J.P. mentioned that Dee tutored him in Potions and Charms. "Then what do you think happened?"

"Uh, maybe I added too many ground fish scales." J.P. replied with a frown.

"Tell me, gentlemen, what colour is your potion?" They both stiffened at the smooth drawl that came from behind them. They both turned hesitantly.

"Er, orange?" J.P. ventured bravely.

"Yes, it is, and a very bright one too. Now, what colour is it supposed to be?" Snape continued in voice that dripped with contempt.

"Mauve." Harry replied with a sigh.

"Yes. You've ruined your potion." Snape seemed quite delighted by their failure.

J.P. bit back a sneer. "Yes, I think we have," he replied instead with a touch of annoyance in his voice.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for your cheek." Snape snapped. "And a detention for both of you. You will be redoing this potion and you had better pray you get it right because the brewing of this potion counts for your final grade." He glowered at them. "Like all of the potions you do in class." With one last disdainful look, Snape swept off to praise Dee and Draco's work.

"Well, we'd better try and figure out what went wrong." Harry sighed.

"Mm. Hold on a sec." J.P. replied distractedly.

Harry noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and saw that Dee was holding her hands behind her back and making a series of gestures with her fingers. It looked rather odd but he heard J.P. make a soft sound next to him.

"What?"

"Apparently, we were supposed to drain the fluid from the puffer lichen instead of just dumping the whole thing in." J.P. said sheepishly. "Sorry."

"What? How do you know?" Harry asked curiously.

J.P.'s eyes darted back to Dee. "Just a hunch."

"Wait, those were hand signals!" Harry said with wide eyes. "How could you tell what she was 'saying'?"

"We made up a code years ago, when we first started at Hogwarts. She helps me out sometimes when I can't figure things out. She usually nags me to study more after it, but it's pretty helpful. I honestly wouldn't be able to get anywhere without her help in Potions." J.P. brightened. "Hey, why don't you ask Draco to be your tutor? It's a great way to get a snog!"

Harry flushed and hissed back in embarrassment. "I won't take advantage of him like that!"

"Hey, come on, I'm sure he wants you to snog him senseless!" J.P. continued, oblivious to Harry's rapidly deepening blush.

Harry looked around quickly to make sure that no one had heard J.P.'s outrageous statement. "You don't know that." His expression turned curious. "Did it work for you?"

J.P. grinned and winked. "Like you wouldn't believe."

"Ah." Harry replied. "And why do you care anyway?"

J.P. sighed and slung an arm over his shoulder and leant heavily against him. "Harry, Harry, Harry." He shook his head in mock exasperation. "Surely you must know by now that you're a great friend of mine, and like any other concerned friend, I want you to find happiness." He gave Harry a grin. "Besides, I think you two make a cute couple."

Harry shoved him playfully and shook his head with a smile. "You're such a goof."

"That I am!" J.P. replied cheerfully. He leant forward conspiratorially. "I suggest you make your intentions known. Let him know you want him and then chase him. Dee loved it, I have a feeling that your Draco's of a similar mind." He paused. "Once you get past all that hostility."

"You think so?" Harry looked a little doubtful.

"Yeah, I reckon he just doesn't know what he wants." J.P winked. "Besides, the hunt's almost as fun as the catch!"

"Get to work cleaning up your mess. Twenty points from Gryffindor." Snape snapped as he glared at them while he swept past. "Keep your horse play out of the Potions classroom."

"Exactly like my Snape." J.P. muttered with a sigh and a rolling of his eyes as soon as Snape turned away and gave Harry a suffering look.

Harry chuckled and smiled widely. His eyes flicked towards Draco again and this time, he was surprised to see Draco watching him with a strange expression.

-------------------------------------

While Draco's face remained impassive as he left the classroom, he cursed himself inwardly. He tightened his grip on the handle of his satchel and pressed his lips together in irritation. It had been one stupid kiss! How could he still be thinking about something as stupid as that kiss?

And why did it have to make him feel like that?

_------------------------------------_

_"But he could curse Harry!" Ron sputtered as he pointed an accusatory finger at Draco._

_Draco sneered and glared at him from where he leant against the wall. "Didn't your parents ever teach you that it's impolite to point?" He sniffed disdainfully when Ron started to growl. "Don't get your shorts in a twist, I'm not going to kill your precious Golden Boy while you're gone."_

_"Then why are you still there?" Ron snapped._

_"I don't have to answer to you." Draco replied as he turned his head away in a clearly dismissive gesture. _

_"Why-"_

_"Mr. Weasley! I've told you not to raise your voice in here!" Madam Pomfrey chided him as she gave the tall redhead a stern look. "And I'm sure you have other places to be?" _

_"But the Ferret-"_

_"He has a name, Mr. Weasley." Madam Pomfrey broke in. _

_"Fine, **Malfoy**__, might try something while we're away."_

_There was an amused chuckle from the Headmaster and he rose from his seat by Dee's bed. "Mr. Weasley, I think it's lunch time. Why don't you and Miss Granger get something to eat?"_

_"But why aren't you making him leave?" Ron asked._

_"He's merely watching over Miss Malfoy."_

_"But J.P. can do that!" _

_"Come on Ron, he's not really doing anything." J.P. said in Draco's defence. "He's just... Well, standing there."_

_"You're taking his side too?" Ron looked betrayed._

_"Come on Ron, Malfoy won't be able to do anything while the Headmaster and J.P. are here." Hermione managed to drag a resisting Ron out of the room, but not before she gave Draco a weird look. _

_"Ah, I should be leaving then." Dumbledore stood up and gave Dee a pat on the hand and a warm smile. "I will talk to you when you're feeling better."_

_"I should be all right by tonight." Dee replied quietly._

_"Whenever you're ready." Dumbledore said with a nod and left the room. _

_Draco looked at Dee and J.P. and scowled as he watched the raven-haired boy stroking her hair as she curled close to him. He didn't understand what the girl saw in him, especially considering how cloddish he seemed. _

_"Uhn." Draco turned to see Harry stir and straightened away from the wall. He crept closer, throwing a glance at the other two and decided that they were too occupied by each other to notice him approach Harry._

_"You really are a bother, you know that?" Draco murmured quietly as he stood by the bed. He scowled down at him. "You just had to go and do it, didn't you? I thought I was over that stupid crush, but no, you had to ask me to stay." Draco spat the last few words out as he glared down at Harry but then his shoulders sagged and his expression became defeated. "Why couldn't you have just left me alone?" The last was whispered sadly. _

_"Mm..." Harry tilted his head back against the pillow and opened his eyes. "An angel..." He breathed with a small smile._

_Draco jerked back in surprise and gaped down at him. "What?"_

_"You look just like my Draco though." Harry murmured. He sat up and leant closer to him. His emerald green eyes glittered without the protection of his glasses and Draco found himself leaning closer unconsciously before he could stop himself. _

_"You shouldn't be moving around, Potter." Draco muttered as he ducked his head and made as though to move away._

_"No, don't go." Harry said, almost desperately. His hand curled around Draco's wrist and tugged the smaller boy towards him. His other hand moved up to cup his cheek and before Draco had a chance to protest, Harry had covered his lips with his own in a hungry kiss._

_--------------------------------_

"You know, if you hold that bag any tighter, you'll pop a knuckle or something." Dee said. "And if you pop your knuckles, you'll get arthritis."

"What?" Draco blinked and looked at her uncomprehendingly. He shook his head and focused on her, more specifically, the spot where he knew an angry red scar stood out starkly against her skin. Dee had taken great pains to ensure that no one else could see it, let alone the other Slytherins. Draco had been kind enough not to tell anyone, not even his Housemates.

Dee nudged him lightly. "Your hand. Stop strangling the handle of your bag. It's not good for your knuckles."

Draco let out a noncommittal sound but loosened his hold anyway.

"A knut for your thoughts." Dee murmured as they made their way towards the open area of the school near Hagrid's hut, on their way to Care of Magical Creatures.

"Nothing." Draco replied stiffly as he looked straight ahead, ignoring the rambunctious group of Gryffindors milling around them. Crabbe and Goyle were following closely behind them with Blaise and Millicent to their sides. Pansy was off to their left spitting acidic comments at anyone who came near her and as such, everyone was trying to keep out of her way.

"I wonder what that giant's got for us today." Blaise muttered. "I hope it won't be able to eat us."

Draco snorted and looked at the towering man with distrust. "For all we know he's been plotting to feed us to his pets since the day we stepped into his yard."

"They're kind of interesting, in a weird sort of way." Millicent said tentatively. Ever since that first breakfast, Millicent had become a bit more confident and had taken to following Dee around in a way that was reminiscent of Crabbe and Goyle with Draco. Dee didn't mind and was often seen talking quietly with the other girl when she wasn't with Draco or J.P.

"It could be worse." Dee put in, supporting Millicent. "He could be introducing us to all sorts of carnivorous entities." She let out a wistful sigh. "I just wish they'd bring in dragons. I love dragons!"

"You would, wouldn't you?" Pansy hissed snidely.

Dee ignored Pansy's hiss and flipped her hair in a dismissive manner that she knew would get the other girl.

"You know, Pansy can be incredibly vindictive if it suits her." Draco said quietly into Dee's ear when she leant close to him as he helped her over a large dip in the ground.

"She's nothing I can't handle." Dee replied confidently. "She's not subtle enough."

"True, but I would watch my back."

"Is that from a friend?" Dee asked in amusement.

Draco sneered slightly. "I don't have friends. I have useful acquaintances."

"So what does that make me? We are family, after all."

"Family is different." Draco replied. "What goes on in the family stays in the family." He paused. "And I would hate to see you dirty your hands."

"Should I be flattered by your concern?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at her, a gesture she returned. His lips twitched slightly in amusement. "A Malfoy does not show concern." He gave her a wry twist of his lips. "If you stay close to me, Pansy won't come near me. It's self-preservation at its best. Not to mention you make for good conversation."

Dee laughed and linked her arm through his. Draco ignored Blaise's perplexed expression when he allowed her to stay close to him. It was a very well known fact that the Ice Prince of Slytherin didn't like to be touched but Dee managed to get away with it. Of course, people put it down to her being practically family, not to mention that she was just as cool and collected as he was.

"'Urry up, 'urry up!" Hagrid's voice sounded over to them. "I've got a real treat for you here!" The giant beamed down at his students and they all shifted warily. Hagrid's idea of a treat usually meant unpleasantness for them, or, at least, a group of them.

"Treat, my arse." Draco muttered as he glared balefully at the towering man.

Hagrid was standing next to a set of large pens with hulking figures ambling around the small, enclosed space.

"Don't worry, Dee. I'll save you if anything happens." Blaise winked at her flirtatiously and she rolled her eyes.

"Blaise, stop that." She said firmly. "I have a boyfriend. A very possessive boyfriend."

"Oh, what he doesn't know won't hurt him." Blaise replied with a lowering of his lashes.

"He's looking at you, you know." Dee commented as she peered at the creatures curiously. They looked a bit like giant pandas with their monochrome colouring and bear-like physiques, but they were at least six feet tall on all fours, and had huge tusks and bony spines down the length of their backs. They were pandrakes2, if she wasn't mistaken. They looked rather harmless, but they had incredible amounts of Fire magic. She wondered briefly if any of them would be able to sense her magic and if they did, how they would react. The pandrakes of her world were very aggressive by nature and were rarely seen outside of their natural habitat.

"What's he going to do?" Blaise snorted with a false sense of bravado. He was perfectly aware of what J.P. could do, he'd seen Aurelia after all, but he was still quite sceptical as to what J.P. was truly capable of.

"I'll hurt you, that's what."

Blaise barely held back the girly scream that threatened to break past his lips when a low, threatening voice sounded in his ear. "What the bloody Hell are you doing here?" He hissed to hide his embarrassment as he whipped around to glare up at the larger boy.

"I'm allowed to stand here, it's a free country." J.P. replied smoothly as he narrowed his eyes at Blaise. J.P. knew the boy was smooth, he'd heard and observed a lot about the boy, and he didn't want him making any moves on his girlfriend.

"J.P., could we not stand here? They'll contaminate us or something." Ron was muttering as he glared at the group of Slytherins who were glaring back at him. He cast a pleading look at Hermione to help him, but the girl was watching the large creatures in fascination and wasn't paying attention to him.

"But the view's better over here." J.P. replied patiently, reasonably.

"He's right, Ron." Harry murmured distractedly as he looked around for the object of his affection. He was delighted to see that Draco was looking at him as well, though the blonde did have a disgruntled scowl on his face.

"Potter, go away." Draco snapped when Harry turned to him. "Go stand with the other Gryffindorks."

"'Ey, pay attention now." Hagrid called out, trying to diffuse the situation. "We'll be learning about these here pandrakes. Does anyone know what they are?"

Hermione's hand shot up eagerly.

"'Ermione?"

"They're from China and are a very close relative to the giant pandas of that region," she replied, "but they eat meat rather than bamboo. They can also spit fire."

"Very good, very good. Five points to Gryffindor."

Hermione beamed as Hagrid nodded with a wide smile.

"All right, get into groups of three or four and we'll get started on feeding them."

J.P. slung an arm around Dee's waist and glared as Blaise sneered at him. "Go away, Zabini."

"You're the one who came over here, disturbed our conversation." Blaise snapped. "You go away."

"Dee's in my group." J.P. said firmly, ignoring the stares and whispers that were directed his way. He held Dee closer, possessively.

"Calm down." Dee murmured softly as she felt the aggression that her Claimed was exuding. She sent him calming waves and was rewarded when his body slowly relaxed, though he didn't stop glaring at Blaise.

Draco shifted uneasily as he looked between Blaise and J.P. He was vividly aware of just how easily J.P could hurt the Italian without so much as a glace. He gave Dee a glance and raised an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes slightly in exasperation and gave him a shrug in return.

"I think we should start moving off before all the nice pandrakes get taken, don't you guys think?" Dee interrupted their glaring contest smoothly. "J.P., let's just go find a pandrake to fatten up." She easily led her boyfriend towards the pen. "I think you'd get along with them just fine, being so attuned to fire and all."

"I'll come with you." Blaise started.

"Go partner up with Crabbe and Goyle." Draco said, stopping him.

"What? Why?" Blaise scowled.

"Do you really want to get into a fight with him? Honestly, he's staked his claim on her, there's nothing you can do."

Blaise gave him an incredulous look. "What was that?" He couldn't believe that Draco was telling _him_ of all people to stop his pursuit.

"I'm only telling you that you don't want to piss him off. Something that you're very close to doing." Draco snapped. "He's volatile as it is, do you honestly want him to explode on you?"

"But-" Blaise clamped his mouth shut when Draco's icy gaze hardened. "What do you care anyway?" He muttered instead.

"Because as annoying as you are, you're useful." Draco sneered as he walked towards the pens without another glance in his direction. "I'm going to make sure he doesn't contaminate her."

"This one looks all right." Ron said as he looked at the hulking creature dubiously. "Does it really breathe fire?"

"Yes, it's called a pan_drake_ for a reason, Weasel." Draco drawled as he strode up to them. He eyed the slightly larger pandrake that Dee and J.P. had taken interest in and moved closer to them. He heard Ron sputter behind him and smirked.

"Draco, come over here." Dee invited as she waved to him. Draco moved a little closer, still eyeing the animal distrustfully.

"Scared, Malfoy?"

Draco bristled at the familiar voice that sounded in his ear. He turned his head and jerked back when he realised just how close the other boy was. Close enough that his cheek had brushed against his when he had turned his head. He clenched his hands into fists and stepped back quickly but those green eyes still danced with amusement.

"No, Potter, I'm not scared. But I'd appreciate it if you'd remove yourself from my presence." He fairly spat. However, he was disappointed to see that Harry didn't seem to be bothered by his words at all.

"Come on, let's go feed one then." Harry said in an almost cheerful fashion as he steered the smaller boy towards Dee and J.P.

"Unhand me, Potter." Draco hissed, trying desperately to ignore the way his stomach flopped pleasantly when Harry touched him.

Dee smiled at the approaching pair, discreetly pressing J.P.'s hand. "Are you two ready? Hagrid says we're meant to feed it."

"Why did you have to choose the biggest one?" Draco asked as he extracted himself from Harry with a scowl.

"Well, he's the alpha male, obviously." J.P. replied. "He's bound to be more interesting."

"Granted that you don't make him go crazy first." Dee replied. "Why don't you and Harry go get some of that food that Hagrid wants us to feed it."

The pair of them walked off without any fuss jostling each other as they joked around.

She watched as the pandrake turned towards them slowly, it's large ebony eyes roving over them in something akin to assessment. It's gaze lingered on Draco and Dee as it shifted into a different position, it's head lowered slightly. It eyed them and they both shifted uneasily. Dee had a horrible feeling that it knew what her element was and it didn't take kindly to it.

"It seems to be a bit annoyed." Draco muttered in her ear.

"It does seem like it." She replied slowly as it continued to stare at them. "Avert your eyes and move with me." She followed her own advice and took a firm grip of Draco's hand as she started to lead him away.

Dee froze in mid step when a deep growl started to emanate from the pandrake. "Uh oh." She squeezed Draco's hand. "Don't move Draco, just stay still, don't go for your wand, they'll see it as an aggressive gesture."

With a loud roar, the pandrake reared back on its hind legs. The fur around its neck ruffed up aggressively the spines along its back straightened and curved dangerously away from its body.

The other students screamed and ran towards the safety of Hagrid's hut, even as the lumbering giant tried to calm down the other pandrakes.

"Shit." Draco said as he blanched. Why did bad things always happen to him in this class? He hadn't even done anything to it!

The alpha male opened its jaws and spat out a ball of fire.

"_Protego_!" Dee cried as she threw up a protective shield around them. Normally, she wouldn't have any problems standing up against a fireball of that magnitude, but Draco stumbled backwards in shock and his foot caught her ankle, tumbling the both of them to the ground. Dee let out a cry of pain as she landed awkwardly and Draco hissed. While she was small and light, all of her weight had landed on his ribs and he could have sworn he heard one crack.

At the alpha's attack, the other pandrakes roared and lumbered past Hagrid to join their leader.

"Dee!" J.P. sprinted towards them, throwing out his hand. "_Ustilo_3!" A brilliant bolt of fire shot out of his hands and exploded the ground in front of the alpha and forced it to rear back in alarm.

"Draco!" Harry felt a wave of emptiness4 wash over him when J.P. cast his spell but grit his teeth as he forced it away and concentrated as he pointed his wand. "_Stupefy!"_ The closest pandrake to the pair toppled over and the ones around it backed away.

"You get away from them." J.P. growled as he strode towards them, fire swirling around his hands. Harry strode along next to him, his eyes blazing as he levelled his wand towards the alpha male.

The alpha roared at them but both Gryffindors snarled back fearlessly.

"Back off." They said at the same time. Power radiated off them, stirring the grass at their feet, or, in J.P.'s case, burning it.

The alpha paused, daunted by the sheer force of their words and power and reluctantly bowed its head submissively. The other pandrakes quickly followed suit and the two Potter's wasted no time in scooping up their respective blonds and striding away quickly.

Hagrid met up with them, wringing his hands in distress. "Are yeh two a'right?"

"I think I broke my wrist." Dee said with a grimace.

J.P. made a sound of distress at her pain. "I'll take her to Pomfrey." He said quickly and Hagrid nodded.

"Go right ahead." Hagrid turned to Harry and Draco. "Are yeh a'right Malfoy?"

"I just had a bloody fireball shot at me, how do you think I feel?" Draco spat as he struggled to get out of Harry's arms. "Put me down this instant!" A flush had started to rise along his cheeks as he realised that Harry was now holding him bridal style.

"I think I should take you to Pomfrey." Harry replied as he nodded to Hagrid who murmured in agreement.

"No, you bloody will not. Put me down! Ouch!" Draco winced and laid a hand on his aching ribs.

Harry's eyes darkened with concern as he loosened his hold slightly. He started to walk towards the school. "That's it, I'm taking you to Pomfrey."

"No, let me go! I'll hex you! Ouch, damn it! You did that on purpose!" There was a yelp followed by several choice words.

Back in the relative safety of the hut, the other students stared after the arguing pair as they made their way towards the castle.

"Did Dee use wandless magic?" Millicent asked in astonishment.

"Were J.P.'s hands on fire?" Seamus whispered, eyes locked on the sizeable patch of dirt that was still smouldering.

"That was... unexpected." Hermione murmured, her eyes narrowed in thought as she watched Harry and Draco disappear from sight. "Very interesting."

-------------------------------------

1 Yes, I clearly made this up. Sorry, at the time I wrote this, I was wondering what would happen if you crossbred a puffer fish and some other unfortunate organism. I found the thought of some sort of inflatable lichen really hilarious for some reason (I was studying for biology and got bored... LOL). I'm weird, I know. Think of it as a moment of insanity and let's leave it at that, shall we? LOL

2 Er, yeah, another made up animal. I love pandas, don't you? They're so adorable! LOL I couldn't help but put them in, albeit with some differences. LOL

3 Scorch

4 Does everyone remember what Dee said about when she casts spells, way back in the second chapter (which I just revised... LOL)? Basically, she, and J.P., creates a sort of magical dead zone whenever she casts a spell, the size of it depends on the power she's using behind the spell. I'll explain it in more detail later...

Hiyas!

I hope you liked the chapter! I thought it was quite fun to write! LOL I'm so lame...

Firstly, I hope everyone had a wonderful festive season! If I don't see any of you before New Year, I hope you have a great New Year too!

As always, I want to thank my beta **lilypurehwite**! She's so cool and helpful and tolerant and nice! And a whole lot of other things! LOL Thanks a lot!

Now, for my lovely reviewers! Wait! Before that, I must say how happy I am! I got my FIRST flame! Well, not really a flame, but it was a bad review! I'm so happy! Okay, so not many people would be happy about bad reviews, but this one was special cuz it was my first (and hopefully my last... LOL)! I love it when people just read the first chapter (if they did indeed read it) and then say bad stuff! Honestly, I did say that there were two Draco Malfoys, did I not? Therefore, it is fairly certain one with be fairly Mary-Sueish or Gary-Stuish... But hey! It's all good! LOL

Back to the matter at hand!

**RedFrozenAngel**: I'm glad you like the fic! LOL You didn't eat dinner? You should eat all your meals! Though I shouldn't talk, I don't eat breakfast, and I don't even have the excuse of a fanfic to read! LOL I think I'm just lazy... I hope you liked this chapter too! Thanks for the review!

**Kat Davi**: I'm glad you like it! Hopefully, you liked this chapter too! Thanks for the review!

**Brenna8**: Thanks for the review! Ah yes, I'm doing just great! I did post it up, but then, when I was browsing through my profile to get to my favourite fics, I noticed that it had disappeared! I was most upset but this and ranted and raved but of course, that does nothing, so I posted it again. I hope you liked my update!

**Trinity Vida-Malfoy**: Yes, I have been told it is a little odd, but I'm glad you liked it! LOL Yes, people have been asking for Draco and Harry to pop into Dee and J.P.'s world, and I have considered it. My decision isn't concrete yet, but it's a BIG possibility! I hope you liked the chapter! And I'm the one who should be saying thanks! Thanks for the review!

**Mon2**: It's not evil... It's absolutely cruel! Mu ha ha ha ha ha ha! LOL I was worried that I'd made Chapter 9 a little too action packed but I'm glad you liked it! I had hoped that the interaction between Dee and J.P. made them seem comfortable with each other, considering they do have a well-established relationship. LOL Yeah, Dee will have a hand in bringing Draco closer to other people. My brother said that she sounds like me, except I'm not as subtle or nearly as crafty as she is ;; Ron will get better, after all, if he doesn't, J.P. will have a word or two with him! LOL Thanks for the review! Hope you liked Chapter 10!

**futago akuma-tenshi02**: Thanks for the compliment and review! Hope you liked this chapter!

**lucidity**: I hope you had a great holiday! I hope this was enough H/D for you! LOL Hope you liked the chapter! Thanks for the review!

**Heart and Soul**: LOL Thanks for the review!, I'm glad you liked it! I hope this chapter had enough H/D for you! The previous chapters were all really kinda leading up to this one, after all, I didn't want too much too early. I'll get back to you on some ideas for your fic if you want, as soon as I get some more for Chapter 11 of FS! LOL

**angelkitty77**: I hope you liked the H/D in this chapter! Of course, there's still a lot they have to work through before they get together. Thanks for the review!

**Mara202**: As usual, thanks for the review! I hope you liked this chapter!

**Rosaleena**: Thanks a lot for the compliment! I'm glad you think it was incredible! I worked quite hard on that chapter; it took me quite a bit of time to get it to my liking. I hope you liked this chapter!

And to anyone else who read it, thanks a lot! I do hope you leave some C&C!

Until next time, take care of yourselves!

DW


	11. Patience is a virtue

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**E-mail:**

**Summary:** Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are one of a kind. Maybe. Alternate worlds are meant to stay separate but not everything turns out the way they're supposed to. How much trouble can two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters get into? Especially when someone decides to up the ante and make things a whole lot worse for them all. Slash, het. HP/DM, HP/DM, RW/HG and more.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though). There's swearing in this chapter!

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it.

-----------------------------------------------

**Flip Side**

Chapter Eleven: Patience is a virtue 

"For the last time, go away!" Draco yelled at the boy trailing after him. He'd spent the last half hour trying to make the brunette go away but he wouldn't leave his side. It kept stirring up memories of the kiss and feelings he'd thought he'd finally gotten rid of. Whenever Harry was near, everything seemed to melt away, he felt as though he was floating and, Merlin, completely out of control.

"But Draco, I don't think you should be out of the infirmary yet," Harry replied, trying to cajole him to go back. "Come on, just wait until the pain goes away at least."

"No, leave me alone. And stop calling me Draco," Draco snapped as he whirled around, wincing when his arm pressed up against his healing ribs. He swayed slightly and went pale.

"Draco!" Harry caught his elbow and held onto him. "Here, come on. You're in no condition to-"

"Why won't you just go away?" Draco cried, his eyes bright with tears of frustration. "Don't you get it? I don't want you near me!" He struggled away from Harry and leant against the wall, closing his eyes tightly. "You're always there, can't you leave me alone?"

"Draco..." Harry whispered. He dropped his hands and watched as the other boy dropped his head, his long bangs hiding his face from view.

"Just leave me alone." Draco muttered as he pushed off the wall and started towards the dungeons.

"No, I'm taking you back to the-" Harry yelped as he was shoved up against a wall, the cold tip of a wand pressed against his throat. He looked down into burning silver eyes and swallowed.

"Don't you get it, Potter? I don't want you near me!" Draco hissed. "Why don't you just go back to your little Gryffindork buddies and go waste air with them? Stop being a hero, you can't save my soul."

Harry opened his mouth and closed it when no answer came to mind. He heard a tremor in Draco's voice and watched as those silver eyes became suspiciously bright. There was a rawness about his face that made his heart ache. His hands moved of their own accord to Draco's waist and Harry felt him jerk in surprise.

"What are you-" Draco tried to step back but Harry wouldn't let go of him.

"Draco, aren't you tired of always being angry?" Harry asked gently.

"What's that supposed to mean? And let go of me now!"

Harry slid his hands around Draco's back and pulled him flush up against him. "No, not until you listen to reason."

"What reason? Why are you touching me?" Draco could feel his resolve breaking down and frustration building. God, why couldn't the idiot just learn to leave things well alone? He started to struggle, punching out and wriggling desperately.

"God, is it so hard for you to accept that someone cares about you?" Harry snapped when Draco's knuckles cracked against his chin.

"Yes!" Draco yelled back.

Harry drew back in surprise. The sheer honesty in Draco's answer was not something he had expected. His grip loosened and Draco took the opportunity to break away from him and run.

Draco could feel the tears burning his eyes as he skidded around a corner. He blinked them away furiously. His footsteps slowed down until he was just walking and all he could hear was the soft patter of his shoes hitting the stone floor. He grimaced as the adrenaline ebbed away and he was left with aching ribs.

"Merlin, why can't he just leave me alone?" Draco hissed through clenched teeth as he wandered further into the dungeons. "Always has to be the hero."

'_Isn't this the sort of thing that you wanted from him?'_ A voice murmured in his head.

'Shut up.' He thought back angrily. 'I haven't wanted that in years.'

'_But you have wanted it._' It replied back. '_Why not take advantage of it now? He seems more than willing_'

'I don't want him near me. Nothing good will come of it.'

'_Nothing ventured, nothing gained._'

'I ventured once, and he turned me down. I will not humiliate myself again.'

'_He was young, he didn't know what he meant by it._'

'He knew well enough.' Draco's lips twisted into a loathing sneer. 'He chose that fucking weasel over me! Me!'

'_But that never stopped you from wanting him, did it?_'

"Shut up!" Draco yelled, the sound of ripping fabric echoed around the room as huge wings exploded out of his back. He staggered backwards, his left hand scraping against the wall as he fought for balance. Huge ebony shadows arched behind him, touching the ceiling above him and folding against the walls on either side of him, moving restlessly in response to his inner turmoil. Small ivory claws on the tip and joint of each bat-like wing glittered in what little light there was1.

'I didn't ask for this, I didn't ask to fall in love with someone who always hurts me!' He choked back a sob. 'I didn't want to, but it's so hard not to. He's just so easy to love.'

The voice stayed silent this time and Draco slumped against the wall and slid down to the floor. He drew his knees up to his chest and buried his face against them. His wings folded around him in a soft embrace and he blocked out what little light the torches gave off. He reached into his pocket and closed his hand around the ivory feather he kept there. It was Dee's feather, the same one he had pocketed in the infirmary. He could feel the traces of emotion that it held, the warmth that it gave him. But even that wasn't enough to chase away the pain.

'God, all I wanted was for someone to pay attention to me, to make me feel real.' He was mumbling to himself now, but he didn't really care. He was deep down in the dungeons where hardly anyone, if you counted the ghosts, ever came. He shivered as a cool draft whispered around him and pulled his wings closer to himself. 'He'd look at me and only me.'

'_Is that why you always made fun of him? To make him notice you?'_

'It was better than nothing. His eyes would burn like fire when he looked at me, and it meant that at least someone knew I was alive. That I was more than just a pretty face.' He paused. 'His eyes are the same colour as the Killing curse, did you know that? They shine with the same intensity and desire.' His lips twitched in morbid amusement. 'It's like every time he would glare at me, he was casting it, wishing I'd die.'

'_He seems to want something else now, something more personal from you._'

'He doesn't want me, he wants to save me, save me from myself like the good Gryffindor that he is.'

'_Would it be so bad if he did?'_

'I want someone to love me, not someone who wants to save me.'

'_Then why not let him love you? What are you afraid of?'_

'Are you kidding? Everyone I've ever loved has hurt me. He'll be no different. He'll realise what a fuck up I am and leave me like everyone else,' Draco sneered back and tightened his arms around his knees.

'_You don't know that._'

'Severus loved that Lupin character and look where it got him. That Black left him with a fear of werewolves and now he can't even look at the man he's loved since he was a kid. I don't want to end up like that.'

'_Would it be so bad to love him?_'

'Yes, it would.' Draco closed his eyes as he felt them burn. 'Because in the end, he'll choose them over me, he's a Gryffindor, he'll fold to the disapproval of his Housemates and he'll leave me with nothing.'

This time, the voice didn't reply back.

Harry ran a frustrated hand through his hair and growled at himself. "Now what do I do?"

"Harry!"

Startled, Harry turned to see Ginny looking at him curiously. "Oh, hey Ginny."

"What are you doing out here? Don't you have class?"

Harry gave her a sheepish smile and rubbed his neck. "Ah, yeah. I had Care, but there was an accident and I had to go to the infirmary."

Ginny frowned, her eyes moving over him worriedly. "Are you all right? You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"

"Nah," Harry shook his head. "Actually, it was Dr-er, Malfoy and Dee who had to go."

"But why did you have to go?"

"Uh," Harry wasn't quite sure how to answer that. He opted for the truth. "Well, I took Malfoy."

"Why did you take him? Doesn't he have cronies or something for that?" That piqued Ginny's curiosity. She smothered a knowing smile.

"Because they were all holed up in Hagrid's hut," Harry replied defensively.

"Really? That's interesting. What happened?" Ginny prodded him.

"Er, the pandrakes attacked him and Dee."

"Oh, Dee. She's seems really nice," Ginny said. "And she looks just like Draco would if he was a girl." She giggled and smiled. "It's not that different from what he is now," she said, baiting Harry. She was rewarded with a mild frown and bit her lip to keep from smiling widely.

"He's not that bad," Harry said in the blonde's defence. "He's just a little, er, delicate."

Ginny smiled at Harry in amusement. "No, he's not bad. Not bad at all."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing really," Ginny replied with an innocent smile. "Well, would you look at the time?" she said, making an exaggerated gesture as she pretended to look at her non-existent watch. "I'd best be off." She left hurriedly, her hand covering her mouth as she practically skipped down the hall.

Harry watched her go in bemusement. "That was... odd." He shook himself. "I'd better go find Draco before he passes out somewhere." He rubbed his neck. "But where would he be?" He brightened and made his way towards Gryffindor Tower. It wasn't long before he was running back down to the dungeons with the Maruaders Map clutched in his hand and his invisibility cloak swirling around his ankles.

'He's around here, somewhere." Harry thought to himself as he walked quickly through the twisting hallways and seemingly endless corridors. 'Jeez, why do they have to have so many twists and turns down here? It's like they _want_ people to get lost.' He looked down at his map and his lips pressed together in annoyance.

He glanced down at the map and was relieved to see that Draco was just around the corner and a few meters down the hall. Or he should have been. Harry frowned uncomprehendingly when he turned around the corner and was met with nothing but shadows and stone. He looked down at his map and then back up.

"Draco?" He asked tentatively. He flushed when he was met with stony silence. "I know you're here." Harry continued confidently as he stuffed the Marauders Map into his pocket. "There's no use hiding." More silence. "Come on, stop being childish. You're hurt, you shouldn't be down here by yourself." When no answer was forthcoming, Harry steeled himself and began to move his hands around in the air in front of him. As he stepped into a particularly large shadow, his fingers brushed against something soft and silken and his fingers closed around whatever it was instinctively.

"Ouch! Let go!"

Harry grinned triumphantly and pulled. "I knew you were here!" His mouth dropped open when he realised just what he was holding. The bones he could feel under the inky black skin were delicate, the muscles flexing as the wings moved restlessly as he stared at them in awe.

"Don't you know when to leave things well alone?" Draco hissed dangerously, his eyes narrowed into slits as he stumbled to his feet. His ebony wings stretched out and he shoved Harry away from him with a single flex of his left wing. He turned away from him and folded them back into his body. Harry watched in fascination, as they seemed to literally melt as they slid into that milky white skin. Harry wondered briefly if Draco's skin felt as soft and smooth as those wings had.

Draco stiffened as he felt Harry's gaze on his back. "Get lost, Potter." He started to walk away but Harry snapped back to his senses and caught Draco's shoulder and spun him around.

"No Draco, I won't let you walk away again," Harry said calmly. His eyes darkened as he took in the tell tale redness around Draco's eyes and he reached up to touch his face.

Draco sneered and slapped his hand away, taking a careful step back. "Leave me alone, Potter. You've been doing it for years, why break tradition?"

"I'm tired of fighting," Harry admitted. "Aren't you?"

"Fighting is something I quite enjoy," Draco snapped in reply.

"Do you really?" Harry asked. "Is that why you're always picking fights with me? With anyone?"

"Because I want to. Now fuck off," Draco hissed. Again, he tried to walk away, but Harry, frustrated with Draco's answers, grabbed his wrists and shoved him up against the wall.

"Why do you always have to be such a bastard?" Harry growled. "Why do you always have to push people away from you? What are you so afraid of?"

Draco recoiled at the very question that he'd been asking himself. His hands curled into fists and he looked away from those brilliant green eyes. He idly remembered the conversation he'd had with himself and marvelled at just how hypnotic those eyes were. Is that why people couldn't dodge the Killing Curse? Because that light made them watch as their own deaths approached?

Silence stretched between them as Draco refused to answer.

Harry bowed his head, closing his eyes briefly as he wondered how long it would take to get through to Draco. "Draco, it's not that hard to let someone care about you," he whispered finally. "Why can't you believe that I can care about you? Are you afraid of it? Of me?" He looked down at Draco and reached up to catch his chin. Draco jerked away from the contact but Harry frowned and caught his chin firmly and forced him to look at him. Or tried to. Draco's eyes slid away from his. "Draco, just look at me."

Draco stubbornly refused to acknowledge him and made an impressive attempt of shoving Harry away, but considering how much more delicately built the Slytherin was than the Gryffindor, Draco didn't stand much of a chance and remained where he was.

"Will you just look at me?" Harry asked in exasperation. On the upside, he supposed, Draco hadn't started screaming at him and was just standing there. On the downside, he was refusing to look at him and seemed to rather upset about something.

"If I do, will you go away?" Draco asked sarcastically.

"Well, no," Harry admitted.

"Then why should I?"

"Argh! You're so damn frustrating!" Harry snapped, letting go of Draco's wrists in favour of throwing his hands into the air in frustration. He belatedly realised that it was not such a good idea as Draco darted around him and down the corridor. For a moment, Harry watched dumbly as Draco disappeared from sight yet again. "Hey, wait!" Harry yelped as he tried to follow after Draco.

"There are better places to wander around in the dark, Potter," A smooth, familiar drawl murmured from behind him.

Harry let out another yelp and whirled around, his wand whipping out in front of him. Large silver eyes regarded him with amusement from the shadows and he relaxed. "Uh, Dee, hey." Harry raised a hand in greeting. He hadn't really talked with her, not since The Thing and he wasn't quite sure how to act around her. She seemed nice enough but the sharp intelligence in her eyes reminded him too much of his own elusive and somewhat aggressive blonde.

"Where's J.P.?"

"He's around somewhere." Dee waved her hand and Harry saw that it as lightly bandaged.

"Oh, how's your wrist?"

"It was just a small break, nothing too horrendous. Madam Pomfrey's fixed it, though it is a little sore."

"That's good." Harry paused awkwardly under her even stare. It felt as thought she was looking into his mind but he shook his head, he would have felt it if she did. He pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Er, what's wrong?"

"You should try not to be so obvious in your affections, Potter." Dee replied without preamble.

"What?"

"Draco. He won't appreciate you being so forward, especially in public." She paused and tilted her head thoughtfully. "At least, not until you make him more comfortable with you. Right now, I think he's more likely to hex you into oblivion."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked. Had J.P. said something to her?

"You want Draco to notice you beyond your rivalry, am I correct?"

Harry nodded silently.

"Given that Draco's spent a fair amount of time being rather resentful towards you, I suggest you try and be a little more subtle. Can you imagine how awkward and difficult it would be for him if you made it known to everyone that you wanted him? Especially to his Housemates?"

Harry hadn't really thought about it and it was evident from the guilty expression on his face. "

"I see." Dee murmured. She walked forward and tucked her hand into his elbow and began to lead him in the opposite direction of where Draco had run.

"Wait, I have to-"

"He'll be fine, Draco is more resilient than you think." Dee replied firmly, _and I don't think he wants to talk to you right now_. "You and I have much to discuss."

Harry looked back down the corridor and sighed as he let the girl lead him away. "What do you want to talk about?"

"For one, I need you to explain to me this link you have with Voldemort," Dee said.

Harry balked. "What?"

A sideways glance tilted up at him. "I need you to tell me what exactly is the link you share with Voldemort." Her lips thinned into a line. "And as of a fortnight ago, myself."

Harry's eyes flew to her forehead. He remembered watching her as she'd brushed her hair away from it before she'd disappeared into Dumbledore's office to talk about what had happened. Her scar was the same as his, but against her pale skin the red looked so angry and hateful.

"I know you saw my memories." She turned them around a corner. Harry nodded guiltily. "It's all right, I suppose it couldn't be helped. I trust you won't tell anyone what you saw. I haven't told J.P."

"Oh," Harry said in surprise. "I won't tell, don't worry."

"Good. Now, back to the matter at hand. I see things, sometimes, at night. I see hazy images of a madman laughing as he tortures others and the sound of screams." Her fingers tightened slightly and Harry covered her hand with his in sympathy.

"It's hard to get used to," he said quietly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shrugged. "Maybe later. Right now, I'm more concerned with trying to understand what exactly is going on." She finally pulled him up the stairs out of the dungeons and they made their way down another hallway.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked curiously as he looked around. He hadn't been down this way before.

"To our quarters."

Harry blinked. "Our?"

"The rooms I share with J.P.," Dee explained. "I would have thought you would have noticed that we don't stay in the dorms." Again, there was amusement in her voice and Harry smiled sheepishly.

"I hadn't thought of that."

They stopped in front of a large portrait and the pretty nymph smiled shyly at Harry and beamed at Dee.

"Ah, good afternoon Kiera. Forest green." The nymph spun around on her toes and waved as the portrait opened quietly.

"Wow," Harry murmured as he looked around the lavish room, his eyes taking in the view with awe.

"Yes, very pretty, n'est pas?" She settled herself in one of the chairs and waved a hand towards the one opposite her. "Please, sit."

Harry sat down gingerly and barely kept himself from jumping when a plate of biscuits and a set of mugs appeared on the small coffee table in front of him.

"I hope you like hot chocolate. J.P. adores it." She handed him a mug.

"Thanks." Harry accepted the cup with both hands, more to keep his hands from fidgeting rather than anything else.

They sat in silence and Harry shifted in his seat, sipping distractedly.

"You know, I'm not going to kill you and hide your body somewhere," Dee said dryly as she watched him moving restlessly.

Harry flushed guiltily. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, it was just that she reminded him too much of Draco and he didn't want to find himself getting too close. Especially not when she had a possessive boyfriend. "It's not that." Harry began hesitantly. "Um, it's just that, well, you remind me of Draco." He glanced up at her and gave her a crooked smile. "A little too much for comfort."

"I've heard that before. But rest assured, Potter, Draco and I are not as alike as people think. Perhaps, in the way we speak, move and maybe even in the way we think, but in essence, we are different people." She paused and then sat up as she set her mug down on the table. "Give me your hand."

Harry blinked in surprise at her request. "What?"

"Your hand, give it to me."

He hesitantly stretched out his hand.

Rolling her eyes, she took it in hers. "I won't cut it off, Potter. That would be too messy." At Harry's startled expression she slapped the back of his hand. "It was a joke. Merlin, you really are a bit of a stiff, aren't you?"

"Hey!" Harry said indignantly.

"Oh, quiet. Now, hold still."

Harry pouted but complied. He was suddenly struck how warm her hands were and the stark contrast between the milky white of her skin against the tan of his. He wondered if when he held Draco's hand if it would look the same. She began to stroke his palm lightly, her eyes wandering over it. He watched as she blinked rapidly and nodded to herself.

"What do you see?"

"Mm? Oh, nothing in particular." She lied smoothly, her eyes wandering over the magical energy patterns. She discerned both their auras, not surprised in the least to note that Harry and J.P. had the same auras, and filtered them away. She frowned, as all she was left with was the sight of three strings of magical energy coming away from the both of them. Two strong and clear looking strings came away from her left wrist and Harry's right. They waved in the air for several feet away from them before fading away, where they led to she couldn't tell. Another single string, though much less clear, connected the both of them together. She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "How interesting."

"What?" Harry looked down at his own hand as though he was trying to see what she could.

"We are connected." She let go of his hand and sat back, folding her hands in her lap. "We are both connected to someone who I can only assume is Voldemort as well as each other."

"What do you mean connected?" Harry asked in alarm. Sure, he had a vague inkling of something similar, but she looked quite unhappy.

"There is a magical bond between all three of us, though admittedly, the one between us two is far less solid than the ones we share with Voldemort." She toyed with the button of her cuff. "From what I can tell, Voldemort's eyes open to us when he's feeling his... best." Her lips curled slightly in distaste. "The enjoyment he gains from his 'sessions' is disgusting and vulgar."

Harry nodded in agreement as he grimaced, rubbing at his scar. "He's quite sick." He looked down and watched the steam rise from his mug. "I can feel him," he said quietly. He nodded at her. "And you can too now. You'll feel him, whenever he feels strongly about something, whether he's happy or angry or even if he wants something badly."

Dee's expression became decidedly sourer. "Isn't that just dandy," she muttered. "Why do people follow him?"

"Power. They want power and he gives it to them." Harry replied grimly. "His followers are people, Purebloods mostly and definitely no Muggleborn, who want the bloodlines of magic to stay pure and uncorrupted, not only that, they want to have power over other people like they used to a long time ago."

"They don't want to mix blood?" Dee asked. "That's just asking for trouble." She waved a hand in disgust. "Honestly, if Purebloods only married Purebloods, our blood would become tainted through inbreeding, something far worse that the perceived impurities of Muggles." She shrugged again. "Besides, who cares where magic is from? A Pureblood, a half blood or a Muggleborn? It doesn't matter. Magic is magic, no matter how you look at it. We should cherish it."

Harry nodded in agreement. "That's what I think." He blinked. "You're not prejudiced against Muggleborn?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Why should I care? It's not like they do anything to hurt me." She paused. "Of course, I can understand the fear of exposure to the Muggle world that many Purebloods have. Can you imagine what would happen if Muggle scientists found out about us? What kind of experiments they'd perform?" She shuddered.

"But still, there are so many people who don't want Muggleborn in magic schools."

"There's still fear that opening ourselves up to those who weren't born into our world will bring about our downfall. I have no desire to watch my relatives be put into concentration camps and die." Her expression softened. "But as long as they are discreet, that is no reason to deny them the chance to see what they could be if they wanted it."

Harry sipped at his hot chocolate thoughtfully. He'd never really thought about it the way that Dee presented it, and he could understand why there was trepidation about Muggleborn students. Maybe that was why Draco disliked them so much? His lips pulled down in an unhappy frown when he thought about it. Maybe Draco wasn't such an ass because he was prejudiced, but because he was scared that his world could be destroyed by a careless act or word from someone who had Muggle relatives.

"Are you serious about Draco?" Dee asked in the silence.

Blinking, Harry nodded. "Yeah."

"Can I ask why?" Her expression was serious and her eyes sharp as they roved over his face in a measuring manner.

"I-I don't know." Harry replied honestly. "I just want to be with him."

"Why now? After all these years?"

"Because I know he's not as tough as makes himself out to be. Because I know that beneath all that ice, he's kind and caring and he's generous."

"Kind?" Dee drawled with a quirk of her lips. "A Malfoy does not do _kind_."

Harry, childishly, stuck out his tongue. Dee laughed and he shook his head. "There's just something about him that makes me want to hold him and never let go."

"Is there a reason that you've picked now to make your feelings known?"

"I'm just tired of fighting. Fighting him. He's beautiful, not just on the outside, but on the inside as well but he doesn't let anyone in. He won't let me in."

"Maybe he has a reason," Dee replied. "After all, when he held out his hand to you, you did throw it back in his face."

He turned red at the reminder. "Yes, well, he insulted Ron."

She tilted her head to the side. "You know, Ron was the first to strike on that occasion."

"What? How do you know?"

"Draco said that Ron laughed at him when he introduced himself to you."

"Yeah, but then he insulted him!"

"Ah, but Draco was only retaliating," Dee pointed out reasonably.

"He didn't have to be so mean about it."

"Harry, has it ever occurred to you that if someone laughs at your family name, it can be very, very insulting? Especially to a Pureblood such as Draco and myself. Our last names are who we are defined as by society. And to one as proud as Draco, it was seen as a direct attack on him."

"I-" Harry stopped before he could say anything else, frowning in thought.

"Before you think of approaching him again, can I suggest that you try and understand why he is the way that he is?" Dee murmured. "Don't be so public."

"But how am I supposed to get his attention?" Harry asked.

"Draco is a naturally private person, he does not like people prying into his affairs. For you to publicly pursue him would push him further away from you, not to mention endanger him. You do realise he is the son of the right hand of Voldemort, don't you?"

"How do you know about that?"

"People talk, all you have to do is listen." She shrugged and continued. "But be that as it may, you are more likely to gain his interests through subtler means. And whatever you do, when he pushes you away, don't push back. Just be there."

"What makes you think you're right?"

"Because it's not in a Malfoy's nature to open up to someone else." She replied softly. "Don't be the Boy Who Lived to him, the Saviour of the Wizarding world, the hero, Harry Potter. Be Harry, the boy who wants him."

Harry jerked as Dee's words brought back Draco's '_Stop being a hero, you can't save my soul_'. He swallowed and his face set in determination. "For him, I can just be Harry."

'_But would that be enough?_'

----------------------------------------

1 Obviously I'm not following JKR's Veela thing. I've always fancied Veelas as demons, at least, lower ranking demons. After all, they do the whole mind control thing (though that could just be hormones... LOL). I dunno. That's just me. Besides, I'm under the belief that someone/something that can have that sort of affect on people would be of a darker nature. coughs Besides, wouldn't Draco look so hot with demon wings?! LOL I've been watching too much Chrono Crusade... LOL Think of dragon wings but not as leathery, the same sort of texture as bat's wings.

**A/N**

Hiyas!

This chapter came out very nicely, thanks to my wonderful beta **lucidity**. She pointed out some really embarrassing flaws that were quickly fixed up. She's so cool! LOL

Thanks to all my reviewers, as usual!

**Heart and Soul**: I'm glad you liked the chapter! There will be a build up to H/D, I don't want to rush things and make it look kinda lame. LOL Hopefully, it won't look lame when it happens. LOL I'll get back to you with some ideas as soon as I can.

**Andartha**: LOL I'm glad you were happy with the last chapter. Hopefully, you'll be just as happy with this one.

**NemKess**: I'm glad you think it's interesting! I've tried hard to keep it from getting to cliched or boring. Hopefully, I'll continue to do so! I'm glad you liked it.

**Depressed Gothic Raven**: Glad you like the story! Hopefully, you like this chapter as much as you did the previous ones.

**Anny Pervert Snape**: I hope you liked this chapter!

**pickle-kitten**: I'm glad you like FS so much! It's always uplifting to hear such nice comments! LOL Thank you very much.

**Sun's Fire**: It's good to know you liked it! I will have more interaction between the four of them, but for now, it's mainly just Harry and Draco with their counterparts. The next few chapters will bring things more closer together and there will be fluff and stuff, not to worry. LOL The pandrakes were rather cute, I think. LOL I love pandas!

**Pinglish**: LOL Yeah, it is cute how Draco tries to deny things. He strikes me as one of those denial sorts of people. LOL I tried hard to make my characters work out. Admittedly, I do have a tendency to make Dee seem perfect by my beta picks it up and I fix it up. Hopefully, I'll continue to keep it simple without embellishing too much on her character. J.P.'s easy to write cuz he's like Harry but more self-confident. LOL Dee's a warmer version of Draco, as I'm sure you noticed, but I tried to keep a certain amount of Draco's aloofness and dignity in her. LOL I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as everything else! I update every month or so, at least, I hope to. LOL It's been okay so far. Cross your fingers! LOL

**DemonRogue13**: LOL Yeah, isn't Denial!Draco adorable? LOL Glad you liked the chapter! Hope you liked this one too.

**Mara202**: I'm glad you liked the H/D stuff. LOL Hopefully, I didn't botch it up too much in this chapter.

**Lucidity**: LOL I've always loved fics where Harry's the pursuer. I think it's cute. LOL Especially when Draco's in denial mode or completely oblivious to his attention. Yeah, pandas look adorable but they can be really aggressive if they feel threatened. I remember seeing one of those news thingies where a guy (kinda stupid if you ask me... LOL) climbed into a panda pen to take pics and it kinda mauled him. He was okay, just a lot of bruises and some scratches, but really, you'd think the warning signs would tell you to stay away, huh? LOL

**Brenna8**: LOL I thought Draco would be a whiner, he's so cute when he's bitching at people who are trying to help him. LOL Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**Mon2**: LOL Yeah, Snape'll have to keep himself from frothing at the mouth from shock. I've always fancied the thought that Harry would do better in potions if he had not only a competent partner, but also one who can help him. Ron's nice and all, but he's just as hopeless as Harry. LOL J.P.'s a very gung-ho sort of person. LOL He's all for the direct approach, but sometimes; being direct can make things worse. Poor Draco! LOL Don't worry, I'll be pleasing your H/D desires soon enough. It's got to build up!

Again, thanks to everyone who reviewed. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter; it was fun to write. LOL

Until next time, take care, savvy?

DW


	12. Confessions under pressure

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**E-mail:** Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are one of a kind. Maybe. Alternate worlds are meant to stay separate but not everything turns out the way they're supposed to. How much trouble can two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters get into? Especially when someone decides to up the ante and make things a whole lot worse for them all. Slash, het. HP/DM, HP/DM, RW/HG and more.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though).

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it. I don't own Tekuu no Escaflowne either. I wish I owned Van and Folken Fanel though... LOL

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**Flip Side**

**Chapter Twelve: Confessions under pressure  
**

In the weeks that followed, Harry seemed to take Dee's advice to heart and didn't approach Draco in public again. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't go out of his way to catch the blonde alone, much to Draco's chagrin.

This was one of those times.

"I swear, Potter, if you do not leave me alone, _right now_, I will hex your nose right off that ugly face of yours!" Draco yelled as he whirled around to face him. The only thing he could be thankful for in this situation was the fact it was the weekend, which meant there weren't any other students milling around them to get to class. That would have been incredibly embarrassing.

"Come on Draco, don't be so grouchy," Harry coaxed, though he was slightly disturbed by the threat. "You've got to come to lunch you know. Eating is essential to living."

"What do you care about my eating habits? And why are you following me?" Draco barely resisted the urge to tear his hair out. In the name of Merlin, why wouldn't the bastard just leave him _alone_?

"Because I want to get to know you better," Harry replied with a smile.

Draco stared at him in disbelief. "You want to get to know me better?" He repeated slowly. The boy's cheerfulness was almost frightening. Why was he smiling at him? Harry Potter _did not smile_ at Draco Malfoy. It simply wasn't done!

'_But isn't it such a nice smile?'_ Draco brutally shoved the voice away and scowled at the reason for his current troubles.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I mean, it's about time we buried the hatchet and all that. We should try and be friends."

Draco turned around on his heel and stalked down the hall. "No, let's not."

"But Draco!"

Draco ignored him and stomped around the corner. He stopped in front of the large nymph portrait and snapped out the password. The portrait swung open without a pause and he scowled at the two people sitting on the couch.

"Draco, what are you doing here?" Dee asked as she looked up from the book she was reading. J.P. twisted around slightly and gave him a nod of acknowledgement from where he was sprawled along the length of the couch, his head resting in Dee's lap.

"Can we talk?" he asked frostily, glaring at J.P.

"J.P., Would you mind?" Dee asked.

"Nah, I'll go find Harry and Ron," J.P. replied as he sat up and swung his legs to the floor. He stood up and stretched before leaning down and kissing her cheek. "See you later then." He gave Draco a grin when he saw the other blonde's annoyed expression. "See you around, Malfoy."

Draco sneered at the departing boy's back. Once the other boy had disappeared through the portraying entrance, he threw himself into the armchair beside Dee and huffed. "How can you stand him?"

Dee, used to this question, decided to ignore it and closed her book. "What's wrong? You seem a little tense."

Draco pressed the tips of his fingers against his temples. "Potter is being a stupid git again."

"Ah," Dee murmured. It was another one of _those_ moments. She pursed her lips. At least Harry had enough sense to continue his pursuit in private. Well, if he hadn't, she was sure that Draco would have wiped him off the face of the Earth, love him or not. And she was sure he loved him. "What did he do this time?" she ventured casually.

"He's bloody well following me around! I can't go anywhere without him popping up from around the corner or from behind a statue or something!"

"Has he told you why?"

"I quote, 'to bury the hatchet'," Draco replied sourly.

"Perhaps he's telling the truth." She waved a hand and a tea set appeared on the table. "Please, help yourself."

"What is it with you and offering tea?" Draco asked even as he helped himself to a scone and a delicate china teacup filled with cinnamon tea.

"I like tea," Dee replied a little defensively. "It's nice and it's warm."

Draco made a small sound that sounded suspiciously like a snort. "You're obsessed."

"I am not." Dee pouted.

"Yes, you are," Draco replied in a deadpan voice.

She poked his arm. "We are not here to discuss tea, we are here to discuss your Potter Problem."

Draco looked at her in horror, the scone halfway to his mouth. "You've given it a name?"

"Well, you do come here often enough complaining about him, I thought it was time I called it something." She paused and gave him a smile. "And it amuses me so."

Draco's expression became disgruntled. "This is to get back at me for my tea gibe, isn't it?"

"I would never do anything so petty," Dee replied with an angelic smile and ignored Draco's cough. "Now tell me what he did, aside from following you."

Draco bit into his scone and chewed angrily. He swallowed and sipped at his tea before he answered tersely. "He seems to be attempting to befriend me."

Dee blinked slowly. "Befriend you?"

"He wants to be my friend. He even told me that."

"And you don't want to be his friend?"

"He's a bloody Gryffindor!" Draco snapped. "I can't be his friend. It would never work."

Dee made a sympathetic noise as she sipped her tea. He hadn't denied he wanted a friendship between them, which, she supposed, was a good thing. "If his Housemates weren't in consideration, would you be his friend?"

Draco glowered at her. "What kind of question is that?"

"I'm curious. Indulge me."

"Who cares? It's not the case so why consider it?" Draco grit out in annoyance.

"He's going out of his way to be nice to you, isn't he?"

"He's a stalker."

"At least he's cute," Dee mused out loud.

Draco sputtered. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Dee replied as she smiled at him mischievously. "He's very cute with those glasses, isn't he? Of course, he's not as attractive as my J.P."

"J.P. is a brute." Draco muttered.

Dee raised an eyebrow. "A brute, you say?" She purred.

Draco almost flinched. He recognised that tone, it was the same one he and his father used when they were offended but weren't going to show it. The last thing he wanted to do, surprisingly, was offend Dee. He shifted. "Well, not a brute, just rough around the edges."

Dee nodded her head, seemingly mollified by his answer. "Now, back to your Potter Problem."

Draco groaned and slumped down in a pout. "Stop calling it that!"

"Then what, pray tell, do you want me to call it?"

"Anything. Nothing. Just help me," Draco said sulkily. "He's driving me crazy with all his rambles about friendship and all that. Bloody Gryffindor."

"Would you prefer to that he spat insults at you?" Dee asked calmly.

Draco shot her a sour look. "I'd rather it if I didn't have to see him at all."

Dee gave him an amused smile. "Draco, you go to school with him, you have half your classes with him. In all likelihood, you're going to have to see him at least once a day."

"Which is why it's bugging me! Merlin, do you know how many times he's cornered me this week alone?" When Dee made a sound indicating the negative, Draco continued. "Six! Six times! He doesn't know when to go away! I even threatened to hex his nose off and he still persisted!" Draco growled and placed his teacup back onto the table before burying his hands in his hair and letting out a soft sound of frustration.

"Maybe he's being honest and would really like to be your friend," Dee said gently as she watched him.

"Who cares? Do you have any idea what my Housemates would say if that happened? Let's not even go into the apoplectic fits that the Gryffindors would suffer if they saw us together," he growled before moaning. "My beautiful face would be beaten in and I would be ostracised from Slytherin House!" He covered his face. "I don't need this."

"Oh, Draco." Dee murmured as she laid a hand on his arm. He flinched slightly at the touch but didn't move away.

"Why did this have to happen now? If he'd just accepted my hand in First Year, this wouldn't be happening." Draco turned away from Dee's sympathetic gaze. "He should have just taken my hand and forgotten about that pathetic Weasel." He bit out the last words and closed his eyes tightly. God, just remembering it brought back the familiar pangs of pain that Harry's rejection always made him feel as well as other painful memories of his father. His expression became bleak as he wallowed in his darker thoughts.

Dee made a soft, neutral noise. She knew just how deeply Harry's rejection had hurt Draco, but in all fairness, Draco's past spitting hostility hadn't made matters any better. While he'd stopped attacking them whenever he saw them, the damage had already been done. His despair was almost tangible as he brooded next to her and she sighed deeply. Carefully, she reached out and clasped his hand in hers, entwining their fingers together. Draco didn't even seem to notice, too caught up in his own thoughts. She frowned slightly as she noted how dark his eyes had become and the unhappy expression that melted into something even deeper.

"Draco? Draco, snap out of it." She squeezed his fingers but he didn't move. "Draco!" she snapped, worried. When he still didn't react, she scooted over and pulled him down to her, his head lying on her lap. She slid her hands into his soft hair and began to murmur to him softly. She felt him tense, his eyes clearing as he stared up at her with a mixture of surprise and self-disgust. He made as though to sit up and she opened her mouth and began to sing to him.

1_Win dain a lotica_

_En vai tu ri_

_Si lo ta_

_Fin dein a loluca_

_En dragu a sei lain_

_Vi fa-ru les shutai am_

_En riga-lint_

Draco couldn't believe she was singing to him. No one had ever sung to him before, his mother was a cold woman who had never shown him any affection; much less do something as intimate as comfort him. He felt her long fingers slide through his hair and he let out a soft sigh.

_Win chent a lotica_

_En vai turi_

_Silota_

_Fin dein a loluca_

_Si katigura neuver_

_Floreria for chesti_

_Si entina_

Dee remembered her mother had done this for her when she was a child. She felt a pang in her chest as she thought about why she had to be comforted. She watched as Draco's face relaxed, his eyes half closing as he listened to her voice. She smiled down at him warmly and sung the next verse.

_Lalala…_

_Fontina Blu Cent_

_De Cravi esca letisimo_

_Lalala…_

_De quantian_

_La Finde reve_

The slight change in tune seemed to emphasise the importance of the words and Draco concentrated on them, even though he knew he didn't know what language she was singing in. He had to ask her what the words meant.

_Win dain a lotica_

_En vai tu ri_

_Si lo ta_

_Fin dein a loluca_

_En dragu a sei lain_

_Vi fa-ru les shutai am_

_En riga-lint_

As Dee's voice trailed off into silence, Draco stared up at the ceiling. He felt something warm spread through him and he looked up at her gently smiling face with a touch of amazement.

"What was that?"

"It's a song, from long ago. My mother used to sing it to me when I was a child. It's a lullaby that our people used to sing." She stroked his hair absently.

"Our people? Veelas?"

"Not quite. The Veelas in my world descended from another race of beings called the Draconians2." When Draco made a sound of surprise she nodded. "Yes, I read up on Veelas in this world and I think we're quite different."

"How?"

"Veelas of my world are renowned for their abilities to see things like the future, dowsing or seeing magical connections. There are very few of us, a few Houses, no more than a few hundred of us remain."

"So few!" Draco murmured with a frown. "Why is that?"

"Before we became Veelas, we were Draconians, like I said." She sighed and her eyes became soft as she recalled what her grandmother had told her. "There were thousands and thousands of Draconians all over the world. They were called the Children of the Sky, because of their wings. Humans called them angels." Her lips twitched up in an amused smile. "Humans, mages and muggles alike, never understood what they really were."

"They lived amongst humans?"

"Oh no!" Dee laughed and shook her head. "They found humans amusing. They thought of them as toys put upon the earth to keep them entertained, but entirely too _common_ for them. No, they lived on the island of Atlantis."

"Atlantis?" Draco blinked up at her. "The Atlantis? Those are just legends."

"Mm, indeed. But legends always have a grain of truth in them. All of them."

"So what happened to them? Why did they become Veelas?"

"Like all powerful beings, they were tempted to take more than what was theirs. More than a thousand years ago, Draconians had become powerful enough to actually _change_ the future, to shape it as they saw fit," Dee murmured.

"What did they do?" Draco asked curiously.

"To manipulate the lines of destiny is not something to be taken lightly. It requires an incredible amount of power and an even greater amount of control. Legends say that they wanted to change something they saw in the future, something that would bring about the destruction of their kind, and they gathered, all of them, into the centre of their city. The spell they cast was meant to nudge their future into another direction but something went wrong and they miscast their spell. Instead of changing the future, they brought the future to them."

"Merlin... They destroyed themselves?" Draco asked in horror. An entire race...

"Yes, they were all killed, every single one of them fell into shadow. Atlantis sank beneath the waves and their secrets were sealed away forever."

"But then how did Veelas come about?"

"There were those whose physical forms were the only things that were destroyed. Eventually, they became strong enough to give themselves physical bodies and became what are now known as Veelas."

"Interesting."

"My grandmother used to tell me stories about the Draconians when I was little, but I was never sure what was the truth and what were the embellishments."

"What does that song mean?"

"It's actually a lullaby," Dee said. "It's a rather morbid one though, in my opinion."

"Why's that?" Draco asked curiously as he sat up.

"It talks about the destruction or salvation of the world."

"Destruction or salvation? What kind of lullaby is that?"

"A bit heavy, isn't it? It has been passed down my mother's line since forever. It's funny, our names both mean dragon and the lullaby talks about dragons!" She laughed again and Draco smiled slightly.

"It is a rather amusing, I suppose."

Dee picked up her teacup and sipped from it. "I think it sounds more like a prophecy though, especially the wording."

Draco leant forward with a raised eyebrow. "A prophecy?"

"Piqued your interest, has it?" Dee said with a soft laugh. "It's just my opinion; I don't really have anything to back it up."

"So what does it say?"

"That dragons will bring about the salvation or the destruction of the world." She frowned in thought. "It mentions something about needing someone by their side or something. Maman never fully translated it to me and-" Dee didn't get to finish her sentence as she suddenly curled in on herself, her hands slapping against her forehead as she let out a cry of pain.

"Dee!" Draco cried in alarm and grabbed her shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Dee didn't reply, instead, she grabbed onto his shoulders and curled into him, pressing her face into his shoulder as she gasped sharply in pain. Her back suddenly arched as she screamed, tears rolling down her face. Agony sizzled through her as she felt a dark satisfaction wash down the connection between her and Voldemort. Through the link, she could hear his sinister laugh. She could feel the cold caress of his fingers around her throat as he whispered dark promises in her ear.

"_You belong to me and I will have you, you and Draco both. Just you wait; not even your Fire Prince can save you now." _

Dee jerked, her head snapping up as she heard a phantom whisper in her ear. The voice was like silk, but so dark and cruel.

"No." Dee moaned out as she pressed her hands over her ears.

Draco was even more alarmed when she slumped against him, going completely limp. Draco pushed her away so he could look down at her face and cursed when he saw how pale she had become.

"Dee. Dee! Wake up, please." Draco slapped her again, slightly harder, but aside from the reddening of her cheek, she didn't respond. He looked towards the portrait door and grunted as he hefted her into his arms and ran out the portrait towards the infirmary.

Harry sighed as he watched Draco disappear through the portrait. He knew better than to follow the blonde. The last time he'd attempted to do so, Draco had been practically spitting in rage and Dee had levelled an identically cold glare at him. It wasn't very pleasant being in the receiving end of both their glares. Luckily, J.P. had saved him before it could escalate.

"Hey," Harry greeted J.P. as the other brunette stepped out of the portrait.

"Hey yourself." J.P. said cheerily. "Draco rejected you again, huh?"

"Yeah," Harry sighed in reply. He jerked his head towards the direction of Gryffindor Tower. "Want to go up to the tower?"

"Might as well. Draco's got Dee's attention for at least another hour or so," J.P. said as he and Harry made their way to the Tower.

"I don't think this is working," Harry muttered.

"Don't worry too much about it. See, the difference with Dee was that she and I were always friends. You and Draco on the other hand..." he trailed off with a shrug and stuck his hands in his pocket.

"I know," Harry replied as his shoulders slumped.

"But Dee thinks he likes you." J.P. said consolingly. "She thinks you should just take things slowly."

"If I take things any more slowly, nothing will happen!"

"Nothing's happening now." J.P. pointed out. "Just you wait, something'll happen. It always does." J.P. grinned. "Besides, Dee likes you. She thinks the both of you make a cute couple. She'll bring him around eventually."

"I guess."

"Buck up, mate!" J.P. slapped Harry on the back. "Trust me, it'll all work out in the end."

"I hope so."

"Come on, let's go see if Ron's up for a game of tag on our brooms after lunch."

"I think Mione's trying to get him to finish his Divination essay."

J.P. snickered as he thought about the Divination classes he'd taken in the past weeks. "It's a joke, mate, a total joke."

"Well, we do well in it," Harry said with a shrug and a grin. "All I have to say is that I'm going to die in a horrible way and she's happy."

"At least it's interesting to think up of ways to die," J.P. commented. "Blaise is really good at it. And when he and Ron get together, it's really entertaining!"

Harry looked at from with a thoughtful look on his face. "It's weird... Thinking about how you're friends with people I know who I wouldn't normally be friends with," Harry said.

J.P. scratched his head. "Yeah, it is a bit funny. I mean, I really, really don't like Zabini here," J.P. said with a scowl. "Bloody git won't stop flirting with Dee."

Harry had to duck his head to hide his smile. True enough, J.P. glared at Blaise whenever he was in the same room, though after J.P.'s little display in Care, Blaise tended not to approach Dee. Well, as long as J.P. was in the room anyway.

"You know, I think half the school is afraid of you," Harry said with amusement. "The Hufflepuffs are convinced that one look from you will turn them to ashes, the Ravenclaws want to study you, the majority of the Gryffindors think you're, as Seamus puts it, 'bloody awesome'. The Slytherins are the ones you have to worry about." Harry paused. "They're being quiet about it, and when they're being quiet, that's when you have to worry."

J.P. put his hands behind his head and shrugged. "Yeah, Dee mentioned something about that. She's heard all sorts of rumours about me." He grinned. "My favourite one's the one about me being a demon sent to devour their souls."

"They really think that?"

"Yeah, it's really kinda funny." He leant closer to him. "Apparently, they think I've got some sort of hold over Dee and I'm forcing her to do wicked things." He paused and his smile turned goofy. "Yeah, wicked things."

Harry rolled his eyes and jostled the other boy. "Stop it, you're making me envious."

J.P. gave him a sheepish smile. "Sorry, but don't worry, once you have him, you'll know what I mean."

Harry turned red and coughed. "Er."

"Yeah, I'll bet that if Draco's anything like Dee, you'll be in for a really interesting time."

"Shut up!" Harry clapped his hands to his face in embarrassment and J.P.'s laugh rang out as he stepped up the stairs to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Oh come on, it's not like you weren't imagining how it would be!" J.P. snickered and laughed when Harry punched his arm.

"Oh dear, maybe you should see Madam Pomfrey about that sunburn, dear," the Fat Lady said when she caught sight of Harry.

"No, no, I'm fine." Harry squeaked out in embarrassment.

"Jumping jacks." J.P. said cheerfully and stepped into the Common Room as soon as the portrait swung open.

"Hey Harry, J.P." Dean said amicably as he looked up from his game of Exploding Snap with Seamus.

"Why's Harry all red?" Seamus asked as he watched the mentioned boy rubbing his burning face.

"Oh, nothing much," J.P. said with a grin and dragged Harry over to Ron who was complaining loudly to his girlfriend.

"But Mione! I don't want to study!" Ron said with pleading eyes. "It's a great day outside, can't I go and fly around for a bit? Please? It's almost lunch time anyway."

"Yeah, please, Mione?" J.P. said.

"Yeah, please?" Harry said with a grin as he and J.P. nudged each other in amusement.

Hermione pursed her lips in annoyance. "You three are absolutely shameless. Shameless!"

"Please!" All three intoned with hopeful looks on their faces.

Trying to hold back her laughter, Hermione shook her head and made shooing motions. "Fine, fine. Go have your fun. But," she paused and looked at them meaningfully, "I expect you to come back before it gets too late so we can revise before dinner!" So saying, she gathered the books and stood up. "We'd better go off to lunch then."

The three boys helped Hermione put the books away before they started to tromp down to the Great Hall with a few other Gryffindors.

"Where's Dee?" Hermione asked J.P. as they settled down at Gryffindor table.

"Oh, she's with Draco," J.P. said as he started to spoon mashed potatoes onto his plate. "I don't think we'll be seeing her for a while."

"Oh," Hermione sighed in disappointment. She was quite eager to continue asking the other girl about her world and, to be honest; she enjoyed the Slytherin's company. It was nice to have an intellectual conversation with people who paid close attention to their grades as well.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll spend more time with you," J.P. said soothingly. "She really enjoys talking with you."

"Well, I'm sure we can go over some of our essays together," Hermione said with a smile which turned to a frown as she watched Ron wolf down his food. "Ronald Weasley! Swallow your food before you shove more in!"

"Mmph!" Ron made an indignant sound around a mouthful of bread and waved his spoon at her as he rolled his eyes.

"At least he's not talking with his mouth full," Harry said as he grabbed some cheese from the platter in front of him.

"I guess," Hermione conceded reluctantly. "But you've still got to learn how to eat properly!"

"I think he eats fine," J.P. said with a grin as he shoved a piece of bread in his mouth.

"Argh! I can't believe this! Didn't Dee teach you any manners?"

"Well, yeah, but she's not here to smack me upside the head," J.P. said with a smile. He ducked his head when Hermione made a swipe at him and snickered when she missed.

"Really, Mione, I think you should try and-" Harry cut himself off and gave a hiss of pain as he pressed a hand against his forehead. "Bugger," he hissed. He winced before curling up and hissing again. "Shit."

"What's wrong?" J.P. asked, alarmed as he watched the blood drain from Harry's face. He grabbed the other boy's shoulder to stop him from slamming his head into the table when he toppled over. He hauled Harry up and stared into his face.

"Harry!" J.P. shook him but Harry let out a low moan and that was quickly followed by a muffled shout of pain as he bit his lips furiously.

"_Your Dragon belongs to me. You can't save him, Potter, he's mine."_

Harry pressed his hands against his ears, shaking his head furiously as he tried to block out the cruel, mocking voice. He heard a rushing sound in his ears and he felt himself fall before everything faded away.

"Harry! Oh no, we have to get him to Pomfrey!" Hermione cried as she stood up and tugged on J.P.'s arm. Ron had already leapt to his feet and had made his way to J.P.'s side. Together, they both picked Harry up and ran out of the Great Hall, Hermione on their heels and the rest of the students shouting in alarm as they watched their hasty departure.

As the four of them ran towards the infirmary, they almost collided with a frantic looking Draco.

"What the? Malfoy!" Ron yelped as he almost tripped over the smaller boy.

"Watch where you're going, Weasel!" Draco snapped, though most of the sting was gone as he concentrated on keep Dee in his arms and not falling flat on his face.

"Dee!" J.P. almost dropped Harry when he saw Dee cradled in the other blonde's arms. "What the hell happened while I was gone?" he snarled.

"How should I know? One minute we were talking, the next she keeled over." Draco hissed as he adjusted his hold on her and followed them into the infirmary. "And what happened to Potter?" Draco kept the concern out of his voice, but not his face as he glanced back at the twisting brunette.

"The same thing that happened to Dee, I imagine." Hermione panted as she shoved open the doors of the infirmary.

"What's all this- Oh my!" Madam Pomfrey frowned. "Quick, set them down on the beds over there."

Draco hastily put Dee on the bed on the left as quickly and gently as he could and cast surreptitious glances towards the other bed as J.P. and Ron lay Harry down with a grunt.

"What happened to them?" Pomfrey said as she waved her wand over the both of them and muttered a few quick spells under her breath. Two large spheres of opaque grey hovered over the two on the bed for a moment before they turned a deep orange and started to pulse in time with each other.

"What does that mean?" Draco snapped worriedly.

"Physically, they're fine," Pomfrey replied. "But I can't say the same for their minds.

J.P. made a soft sound as he sank into the chair next to Dee's bed and grabbed her hand. "Are you saying she's... suffering mentally? Something like that?"

"It would seem so, yes," Pomfrey replied with a frown.

Dee made a soft keening sound and her face twisted into a pained grimace, just as Harry tried to curl into a ball. Draco made a move towards Harry but stopped himself, curling his hands into fists beneath his robe and moving towards Dee instead.

"I'll be right back," Pomfrey muttered as she disappeared into her office. A moment later, she strode out with the Headmaster behind her.

"I see," Dumbledore murmured as he eyed the two on the bed. "How long have they been like this?"

"Harry just started acting like this during lunch. A few minutes ago," Ron volunteered as he stared at his friend in worry.

"And Dee?"

"We were talking and she suddenly keeled over and started moaning," Draco replied with a frown. "She was repeating the word 'no' for a while before she just stopped saying anything coherent."

"I see." Dumbeldore's expression was troubled. Harry and Dee had stopped struggling and were just lying there with expressions of pain on both their faces.

"Madam Pomfrey!" J.P. said in alarm as he stood up, his fingers pressing against Dee's forehead. "Her scar, it's bleeding!"

True enough, Dee's silver hair became tinged with pink as blood started to seep out of her scar. Her eyes fluttered open and she reached up, clutching at J.P.'s shirt. Her large eyes filled with tears and J.P. bit his lip at the pain that darkened the silver to slate.

"Don't take him away from me!" Dee sobbed as she curled her fingers into J.P.'s robes and pulled him closer. "Please don't take J.P. away."

"What? I'm not going anywhere, baby. Shhhh..." J.P. smoothed her hair away from her forehead as Pomfrey performed a quick spell that wrapped a thick bandage around Dee's head.

"Please don't take him," Dee whimpered again as she pulled J.P. off balance and onto the bed with her. She buried herself against him and stopped crying, murmuring how much she loved him and how she wouldn't let anyone hurt him.

On the other bed, Ron and Hermione were having their own problems as they tried to stop a thrashing Harry from getting off the bed.

"God! Don't hurt him! Leave him alone!" Harry cried, his voice breaking on the last work as tears slid down the sides of his face. "Bastard!"

"Harry, please, calm down!" Hermione pleaded.

"C'mon, mate, snap out of it," Ron grunted as he caught an elbow to his stomach. "Ouch!"

"Draco!" Everything seemed to pause as Harry let out a wrenching yell. Ron's mouth dropped open and Hermione reared back in surprise.

"What..." Ron muttered as he looked down at his friend. "Did he just say Malfoy's name?"

"I believe he did..." Hermione said slowly, her eyes darting over to Draco's pale face as he stared at Harry in confusion. She frowned and looked at Dee and J.P., realising that Dee had stopped struggling, seemingly content lying in J.P.'s arms. "Malfoy," she ventured after clearing her throat.

Draco blinked rapidly and scowled at her. "What?"

"Come here."

"What? No." Draco shook his head in refusal.

Hermione scowled. "Come here, I want to try something."

"What makes you think I'll do anything you want, Granger?" Draco spat.

"Just get over here," Hermione said impatiently.

"No-"

"Mr. Malfoy, perhaps it would be best if you did so." Dumbledore said quietly, but when Draco looked at him, there was a suspicious sparkle in his eyes.

Draco scowled heavily and approached the Trio with an unhappy twist of his lips. "Fine, I'm here, now what?"

Hermione didn't say anything but pushed him closer to Harry. "Just stand there."

"What will this accomp-eep!" Draco let out a startled squawk when one of Harry's flailing arms caught his robes and closed tightly around the dark material. Draco suddenly found himself stumbling onto the bed and pressed down against the mattress as Harry curled his body over his, pressing Draco's face against his chest.

Ron gaped at the sight. "What-"

Hermione clapped a hand over Ron's mouth as she watched Draco struggled frantically in Harry's arms. "Hush, Ron! Look, Harry's stopped struggling." She whispered as Harry did indeed stop struggling.

"Potter, let go!" Draco snapped as he tried to get the arm wrapped around his waist to loosen, but it didn't help that one of his arms was pinned under Harry's ribs.

"Won't let them hurt you, Draco," Harry murmured, his eyes opening slowly as he clutched the other boy to him. "Protect you."

Draco felt his face go up in flames as Ron started to make choked sounds behind him. He heard Hermione twittering softly. Draco's struggles had stopped as soon as Harry opened his mouth and he closed his eyes tightly at the feeling that those words had evoked in him.

_Oh God, what am I supposed to do now?_ Draco thought to himself as Harry nuzzled at his hair.

"Love you."

The bottom of Draco's world fell away at the husky confession.

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1 All righty! I'm not a creative person, I'm hopelessly lazy. I took this song from 'Escaflowne the Movie'. It's ancient Romanian actually, and was sung by Shanti Snyder. She's got a beautiful voice and the song's called 'Sora'. It's sung by... Well, the character Sora. LOL It's very, very pretty. Here's 'English' translation for it. It's not exact, it's what Van tells Hitomi it means and some of it is what Sora tells Folken.

In the darkness

The dragon wakes.

The dragon awakens.

To a heart that is

numbed with cold

the dragon takes.

With you at

my side the

dragon sleeps.

On dragon

wing your

wishes will

leap

lalala...

your wishes can

bring forth a destructive future.

lalala...

or you can

bring salvation

In the darkness

The dragon wakes.

The dragon awakens.

To a heart that is

numbed with cold

the dragon takes.

2 'Draconian' is the word they use in the English dubbing of Escaflowne. The literal translation is 'Dragon People'.

Thank you to my lovely beta **lucidity**. She got this chapter back to me very quickly and I really appreciate her efforts. Thanks so much! huggles

Now, onto my reviewers! Thanks a lot for the reviews!

**Mon2**: LOL Yeah, poor Draco. He's such a sad sack, isn't he? On the upside, he's not a push over! LOL He's a strong one, I've always thought. Ah, about their wings. Like in this chapter, you've learn about the differences in the Veelan race between both worlds. Like I said in the previous chapter, my take on the HPverse Veelas is that they lean towards a more demonic classification rather than the 'angelic' that the Veelas in Dee's world do. Draco's Veelan heritage allows him certain sensitivities to the magical layers around him as well as strengths in certain types of magic. It'll pop up more in later chapters, no worries. Dee and J.P.'s parents will make an appearance, but that has yet to be written! LOL Don't worry, Draco will know what it feels like to be loved by a parent. Like I said before, Lucius isn't as big a bastard as he seems. LOL Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**Depressed Gothic Raven**: I'm glad you liked his wings. I too think he'd be very, very hot with wings. fans her face LOL I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**Sheree**: LOL I like Ron well enough; when his mouth is closed and he's not moving, talking or doing anything. LOL But yeah, I've always wondered why no one really pointed it out. That and I love Draco. LOL Draco acted the same way he would have towards Harry, scar or not and Ron... Well, Ron has a few issues he has to sort through, ne? I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**Heart and Soul**: I'm glad it left you feeling all fluffy! LOL I do feel a bit sorry for Harry though, cuz he's got a bit of work to do, huh? Hope you enjoyed the update!

Brenna8: I hope you liked this chapter! It wasn't as H/D as I'd have liked, but I coldn't very well make it just happen, right? LOL 

**Emerald Star Blood**: Yeah, I've always found demons to be more exciting and interesting than birds. LOL And Draco's too hot to be a bird thing! He's simply too devilish! LOL Hope you liked this chapter!

  
**Anny Pervert Snape**: I'm glad you thought he sounded hot too. I hope you liked the update!

**DemonRogue**: Harry, I think, is one of the most clueless people in the series. He's rather... focused, for the lack of a better term. He also tends to see things as black and white. Hope you liked the chapter!

  
**LuthorCorp**: Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you thought it was interesting. It's always ncie to know you're writing something that people think is different. Hopefully, this chapter was just as interesting.

**Kilikapele**: LOL Draco is a reluctant pickle, that he is. But then again, I don't blame him. He's always had to be so cautious and in the House that requires a lot of political and social engineering, I'm not surprised he'd rather not have his feelings for Harry known. But Harry will prevail and we'll have some lovely H/D soon! Hope you liked the update!

**Lucidity**: Yeah, Harry was pretty surprised by them as well, but I think he prefers the bat wings to Dee's feathery appendages. I mean, I know I prefer the bat wings... LOL But then again, I find demons far sexier than angels. At least, fiction wise. ;; Hope you liked the chapter!

Well, that's it from me for another month or so! I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter! By the way, the next chapter won't exactly be a chapter, it'll actually be a detailed (sort of) description of my take on magic in both the Hpverse and the AUHPverse. Hopefully, you won't kill me because of it. LOL

Thanks again for reading! RR!

Take care!

DW


	13. Layers of Magic

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**E-mail:** Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are one of a kind. Maybe. Alternate worlds are meant to stay separate but not everything turns out the way they're supposed to. How much trouble can two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters get into? Especially when someone decides to up the ante and make things a whole lot worse for them all. Slash, het. HP/DM, HP/DM, RW/HG and more.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though). There's swearing in this chapter!

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it.

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Hiyas! This isn't exactly a chapter, but it is rather informative and it will be helpful to have read this later on. Really! I mean it! LOL

A Description of the Layers of Magic in the HPverse and AUHPverse 

In Dee and J.P.'s universe, there are six types of magic; Earth, Fire, Air, Water, Verdant and Shadow. As their names imply, each type of magic controls a different set of elements and properties. I have briefly described each of the types of magic in Chapter Five: Reflection of myself.

Firstly, the intrinsic differences between the magic in the HPverse and Dee and J.P.'s world (which will be now called AUHPverse for convenience's sake. LOL) is that mages in AUHPverse don't need to use wands to channel their magic and their magic is based on the elements and their respective specialties. This difference is caused by the differences in the way magic is accessed in both worlds.

However, the biggest and most important difference between mages and wizards/witches is that the power behind the spells cast by a mage comes directly from the mage themselves. Their power is governed by how strong their will is and how much control they have, and because of this, their spell casting takes a lot more energy than wand magic does which also means that they have much, much larger reserves of energy than wizards/witches. A wizard/witch draws magic from the earth, from the area around them, which explains why magic cast in specific locations and conditions can strengthen or weaken a spell. If a mage should try and use a wand, their own inner power would be channelled through the wand and expelled in a violent manner (see Chapter Six: Do tell)

In the HPverse, in Flip Side, there is only one layer of magic and all witches and wizards access this layer when they cast spells. However, because this layer of magic is constantly being tapped into, the entire layer is constantly rippling in response to those using it. This constant rippling has severe repercussions.

In order to cast a spell, it is necessary for the individual to direct a beam of magic towards one specific location (if you've noticed in the HP books, there aren't any spells which seem to have an area of effect, the spells tend to be target specific) which causes the rippling layer of magic to distort violently, in a manner similar to a bullet ripping through the air, in order to allow the magic to reach that location and for the spell to take effect.

However, if someone should cast a spell in the same direction, the spells may hit each other, which can cause the spells to ricochet off each other into different directions. If the spells should cross each other's distortions, the effects if the spells may change as their intrinsic magical properties are corrupted by the other spell. This means that a _Stupefy_ spell could change into a _Petrificus Totalus_ (if you're lucky) or a _Furnunculus_ hex could become something far nastier like a skin melting curse. It depends on the spells that crossover; the nastier one spell is, the more horrible the other will become and vice versa.

Conversely, if both spells should hit each other head on, the distortions of the layer of magic results in the spell with the more power and will behind it absorbing the power of the other spell and becoming more powerful. In the case of spells being of equal power and will, the distortions cannot dominate each other and opt for combining their power and then releasing the pure essence of the spell which will cause the parties who cast the spells to be hit by the concussive force of the spells cancelling each other out but will not be affected by the intended effects of the spells.

Now, in the case of Voldemort and his killing of Lily Potter, Lily's innate magic, something which all witches and wizards have, but can usually only use unconsciously, was activated. In Lily's case, her desire to protect Harry was so high that her magic manifested itself into a sort of transference of. In order to ensure the survival of her child, she transferred her power into Harry. The massive distortions caused by this created a sort of channel which both changed the Killing Curse into something else which only skimmed Harry as well as shooting it back at Voldemort. Which explains why Harry wasn't killed and why Voldemort had no body for a long time.

In the AUHPverse, magic is tapped into in a similar fashion, but the magic is not channelled through the distance between the caster and the target and can cause an area (AOE: Area of Effect LOL For those of you who are Warcraft III buffs LOL) to be effected by the spell. However, before we just jump into that, we'll go through a description of the layers of magic.

There are six layers of magic in the AUHPverse. These layers of magic lie atop each other like blankets and each one corresponds to a specific element (Earth, Fire, Air, Water, Verdant or Shadow). Depending upon which element a mage is attuned to; they will draw magic off that specific layer when they cast a spell. For example, as a Water mage, Dee has access to the Water layer but she cannot tap into the Fire layer like J.P. can because she has no connections to it and vice versa. Like the HPverse, these layers are all rippling, but unlike the HPverse, this is not a problem. In fact, this can help boost the power of the spell if the mage casts their spell during a swell of the layer. This can be sensed by powerful mages or seen by people like Dee who have The Sight of Light (don't worry, I'll explain it in a minute).

When a mage casts a spell, the layer that the mage is attuned to is distorted in the area they are aiming for. The more specific the target area is, the more concentrated the distortion is and similar to the HPverse, a stream of magic moves between the caster and the intended target. This can take the form of fire in the case of a Fire mage's spell, or ice or water with a Water spell, or pure darkness with a Shadow mage. Once the distortion hits the target, the layer spikes violently, which gives the physical manifestation of the spell. For example, if a Water mage casts an ice spell like Dee's Ice Fire, the Water layer around the target area is violently distorted in order to create the effect. The layer of magic causes the air to condense around the target and then to crystallise into ice, which effectively traps the target in ice wherever the ice fire has touched it.

Depending on the level (J.P. talks about this in Chapter Six: Do tell) of the spell, the manipulation of the layers is easier or harder and therefore uses a corresponding amount of energy of the caster. In order for a mage to cast a high level spell, they not only have to have enough energy to cast the spell in order to properly manipulate the layers, they have to have enough control over the layer to do it. Because of this, someone with raw magical ability has very little chance of casting a specific spell, in fact, they're more likely to cast a random spell depending on how much energy they've used. Because of this control, most of the higher level spells are very, very target specific, though Fire and Earth magic are exceptions to that. While Air, Verdant, Water and Shadow's Ultimate Major spells are target-specific, Fire and Earth's are area specific but require just as much control and power to cast.

Like a person with multiple skills, a mage can tap into more than one layer. This is called Dual Nature. While not all mages have a Dual Nature, there are a fair number of mages that do. Mages with DNs have a dominant element that they can master, and a lesser element that they can tap into in a less than controlled way. Lesser elements are not tapped into consciously; rather, they compliment the dominant element of the mage but cannot be formed into any specific spells. For example, a Dual Nature mage who's dominant element is Fire and lesser element is Air, they can create a fire storm by combining a specific Fire spell and then combining it with a whirlwind (please note that Air mages have a whirlwind spell, but it's far more controlled than those created by lesser elements). Similarly, a Water mage can create a blizzard effect by combining a specific ice spell and high-level winds. The dual elements usually compliment each other, such as Fire and Earth, Fire and Air, Water and Air, Water and Shadow, Shadow and Earth, Verdant and Earth and Verdant and Air.

Sight of the Light (SoL for conveniene's sake) is a skill that a mage can only be born with. Those with SoL can be from any of the elements, it does not discriminate, but they also tend to be very few in number. Those with SoL tend to be more powerful as they can _see_ the very layers of magic rippling and can time their spells to hit the intended target/area when the layer swells and heightens the effect of their spells. They can see the magical energy of other mages (Dee does this a few times, the first time in Chapter Two: Not Quite The Same) and judge how powerful they are and how much energy they have left. They can also track magical signatures, auras and magical charges (that is, when a mage is casting a spell. They can't tell _what_ spell is being cast, but they can tell _when _a spell is being cast and how long ago it was cast. In both universes, magic leaves a residue that can be tracked). Those with SoL can suffer many problems that make SoL very difficult for some people. These problems include severe migraines, temporary blindness, bad eyesight (normal eyesight, they can still see the layers of magic and all that), poor immune systems, loss of mobility such as not being able to walk or having difficulties in moving, increased sensitivity to light (albinism), weaknesses towards psychic attacks and memory difficulties.

Earth 

Characteristics: Stability, power, loyalty, industriousness, nurturing

Classes: Transfiguration, History

House: Hufflepuff, Gryffindor

Description: An Earth mage can control the very earth beneath their feet. They can cause localised earthquakes, fissures and avalanches. They specialise in destructive spells and are very well balanced between defensive and offensive magic. Despite their destructive inclinations in a magical sense, they tend to be very gentle and calm. Earth mages, in general, are calm, controlled individuals who have strong desires towards family and protecting those they care about.

Fire 

Characteristics: Chaos, volatility, aggression, passion

Classes: Charms, Transfiguration and DADA

House: Gryffindor, Slytherin

Description: Fire magic is destructive, very destructive. Fire magic is chaotic and highly volatile. Most Fire mages take years upon years to gain control over it in order to properly use it. It deals mostly with fire, lava and lightning. Unlike the other types of magic, Fire has almost no protective spells but their offensive spells are the most powerful of them all. Most fire mages are impulsive and very emotional people, and, unlike other types of magic users, tend to become very involved in the spells they cast. They can become quite sadistic on the battlefield; the more destruction they cause, the more satisfaction and pleasure they feel.

Air 

Characteristics: Change, communication, spirituality, purification, healing

Classes: Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Ancient Runes

House: Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw

Description: The specialty of Air mages is defensive magic and healing and runes. They are able to control the wind to the extent of creating wind blades which are like knives but made out of wind. Air mages tend to fall into the fields of Healers and Protectors, Priests and Clerics. They are also well known throughout the magic world as being the best at creating magical objects such as portkeys and Apparition chambers. They also have the special ability of magic transferences. That is, they have the ability to transfer magic between people, either themselves or from a third party, to another individual.

Water 

Characteristics: Unpredictability, extrasensory perception, change, control, subtlety

Classes: Potions, Transfiguration and Charms

House: Slytherin, Ravenclaw

Description: Water magic is probably the subtlest type of magic, but it is by no means less destructive. They use a lot of illusionary magic as well as Potions and stealth, and many Water mages become assassins because of that. Water mages are best known for their skills in Occlumency and Legilemency. They are the only types of mages who, as a majority, cannot master their own element fully. Most Water mages can only specialise in one or two of the categories, such as Occulumency and Legilimency, or illusionary magic and poisons, or illusionary magic and physical manipulation, conjuration (creating new spells) and summoning. Water mages tend to be above average in intelligence, as Water magic requires a lot of subtlety and careful manipulation to control and use properly.

Verdant 

Characteristics: Balance, control, subtlety,

Classes: Herbology, Care for Magical Creatures, Transfiguration

House: Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff

Description: Verdant magic is the most centred of all magic types. They concentrate on plants and animals. They are very skilled at Herbology, Care for Magical Creatures and Transfiguration (Animagi specifically). Generally, they use a lot of protective and healing magic, but they can be extremely vicious in a fight. Most of their offensive spells involve impaling their opponent on vines or ripping them to pieces with razor sharp leaves. Their love and affinity for nature make it hard for them to harm other living beings but like all people, they have their limits. They work very well with Earth mages and it's quite common for them to work together in battle as well as in every day life.

Shadow 

Characteristics: Control, subtlety, speed

Classes: Potions, DADA, Arithmancy, Astronomy

House: Slytherin, Ravenclaw

Description: Shadow magic is not evil; good or bad people can use it. However, it requires a great deal of control and skill to be able to wield it effectively. It deals mostly with curses, hexes and other painful sorts of spells and effects. They do have powers over the dead, but not spirits, and tend to be able to summon a whole horde of creatures to do their bidding. Shadows also follow their command and they have the ability to Shadow Walk, which is basically moving through shadows. They have a tendency to be looked at in a negative light, as many of their spells are quite malicious and often permanent.

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Phew! That was a long and in depth thingy, wasn't it? LOL I hope it wasn't too dry for you!

And now! Just a preview of the next chapter to keep you H/D fans from lynching me! LOL

Chapter Thirteen: I love you so, so please don't let me go 

"I don't think you're a Death Eater," Harry said softly.

Draco jerked in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"I don't think you're a Death Eater," Harry repeated. He lifted his head and looked up into Draco's eyes.

Draco's mouth opened slightly at the deep sincerity in Harry's voice and eyes and looked away, ashamed. He hadn't done anything to warrant such trust. "You don't know what you're talking about, Potter."

"Don't do that," Harry said softly, tilting Draco's face back to him. He stared down into Draco's dark grey eyes and felt his heart swell. Draco had such an unhappy expression on his face that Harry couldn't resist. He leant up, pressing lips against the other boy's. It was a soft kiss, sweet and full of love.

Draco gasped as he felt Harry kiss him, and he shut his eyes tightly, feeling his chest tighten as Harry conveyed so much through his touch. He felt himself start to shake and he shoved at Harry's shoulders, catching the other boy by surprise. He rolled off the bed, stumbling as he foot caught on the sheets.

"No, wait, Draco!" Harry cried as he grabbed at his wrist.

Draco tugged hard, his eyes darting around for an escape route. "Let me go!"

By this time, they had caught the attention of the other people in the room, even Dee had raised her head from J.P.'s chest and was watching with narrowed eyes.

"Stop running away from me!" Harry yelled in frustration. He pulled the other boy back towards him, wrapping his arms tightly around Draco's waist.

"Let go, damn you!" Draco yelled again, a hint of desperation colouring his voice as he squirmed. From the corner of his eye, he saw Granger and Weasley watching them, their eyes wide and mouths open, though, Granger closed hers quickly and began speaking to her boyfriend quickly and urgently.

"Not until you tell me why you keep running away."

"Because you'll leave me!" Draco cried out, his eyes filling with tears. He twisted his arm sharply and darted out of range, stumbling from the room clumsily.

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Now, a HUGE thank you to my lovely beta **lucidity** who got this back to me so quickly and her ever helpful corrections! huggles LOL Thanks!

And to my reviewers who I am eternally grateful to!

**Heart and Soul**: LOL I do love evoking WAFFY feelings in people! LOL Those two really are adorable when they decide to get it together, aren't they? LOL Hope you liked this description thing!

**Mon2**: LOL Harry's a bit... how shall I put it? Slow. LOL Seriously, he doesn't get the subtler hints, but then again, that makes it all the more fun, ne? LOL But yes, he will find a way to take advantage of the situation. He can be rather cunning when he wants to be. LOL If I took Draco to Dee's world, then Harry would have to follow and then things would get complicated... But never fear! Draco isn't unloved! And Ron's a bit of a prat, but he'll get a good talking to! LOL

**Netty**: LOL I will update very, very soon. Chapter 13's actually almost done so it'll be out by the beginning of next month, no worries. I love cliff hangers... LOL

**Depressed Gothic Raven**: Draco's a bit confused and angsty, but he'll get it all together in the end! LOL He's such an adorable little puppy! LOL Glad you liked the chapter and I hope you enjoyed the description thingy! LOL

lucidity: Draco hasn't had much love and affection in his life and, considering who he spends his time with, he doesn't have much of a chance to trust anyone. But, if someone was devoted enough to persist despite it all, they'll get someone who'll be completely devoted and forever faithful and loving. Well, as loving as Draco would ever be. LOL ;; _Sora_ will be quite important later on, not to worry! Yeah, Dee and Harry are becoming regulars to the hospital wing, aren't they? But then again, such is the way of life for Those-Who-Lived! LOL Sweetness has a time and place and unfortunately, Harry hasn't learnt when and where someone should do it! LOL   
moon8: I'm glad you like it so far! Hopefully, this hasn't put you off it! LOL I've almost finished the next chapter so it'll be up soon enough, not to worry! Please be patient until then. 

**Demitria and Miriam**: LOL The rest will be along very soon, not to worry! Crafty-smart? That's an interesting phrase! I quite like it... LOL I hope you liked this bit! It'll be useful later on.

**coriander**: I'll update soon, don't worry! I have no intention of being bogged down yet!

**Squifi**: I hope your homework isn't too heavy! It's been a while since I had homework, but then again, it's called 'private study' in uni coughs violently LOL blushes Thanks so much! I really appreciate your compliments! It's so nice to hear them! I've always been worried that my characterisation was funny and didn't work out, but you've been very helpful in that department! Thanks so much! huggles Harry is a stubborn boy, isn't he? But that's part of his charm. He's very devoted. Hermione's a sharp one and Dumbledore's... Well, himself. LOL He's a crafty old man, that he is! Ron's an easy guy to imagine and write shocked cuz he's such a stable character. LOL It wasn't really that hard to integrate Atlantis into this fic cuz it's such an open thing, but it was a bit interesting trying to tweak the Escaflowne mythology to suit the HPverse. LOL Voldemort's always been evil, but the HP one, in my opinion, has never had the same sort of hard edge that Dee's one had and... Well, it'll all be revealed! LOL Please keep reading!

**Grey Malwell**: I've always loved _Sora_. It's a beautiful song. It's incredibly emotive when you hear it for the first time, and it's always given me goose bumps. I have one of the sound tracks and they had the English words with it so I kinda just took it off that. It's a bit hard to find translations for it cuz not many people watched it in English and then took down the words. I much prefer the Japanese seiyuus compared to the English.

angelkitty77: Harry loves Draco, but Harry doesn't understand that Draco has certain... issues he has to work out first. But, like you said, it'll all work out in the end! Just what happens in between is the mystery! LOL 

**Isis-mystic**: Ron's face would have been incredibly amusing! LOL Poor Ron, he's always getting the shock of his life! But then again, it would be funny to see his face turn a colour that clashed with his hair! LOL

**Kilikapele**: Draco's a funny dude, isn't he? He's such a poor pickle, but he's definitely a hard one to catch. He just wants love so much but he's never had any before so he doesn't know how to handle it. And given their past history, I'm not surprised he's a bit wary of Harry! LOL

I hope everyone enjoyed reading this description thingy! It was really fun to write. I'll have the next chapter out soon enough so don't worry. Please take care!

DW


	14. I love you so, so please don’t let me go

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**E-mail:** Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are one of a kind. Maybe. Alternate worlds are meant to stay separate but not everything turns out the way they're supposed to. How much trouble can two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters get into? Especially when someone decides to up the ante and make things a whole lot worse for them all. Slash, het. HP/DM, HP/DM, RW/HG and more.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though).

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it. I don't own Tekuu no Escaflowne either. I wish I owned Van and Folken Fanel though... LOL

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**Flip Side**

**Chapter Thirteen: I love you so, so please don't let me go  
**

Harry Potter loved him. At least, that's what he said.

Draco stared stoically at the ceiling, his lips pressed together in a tight line as he tried to ignore the weight of the other boy pressing him down into the mattress. After his declaration of love, Harry had refused to let him move.

A million thoughts raced through his head, alternating between light and dark, sweet and bitter. The screaming match that had ensued between him and Weasley had been not only loud enough to be heard in the Great Hall, but it had also confirmed just how hard a relationship with Harry would have been. If Harry's best friends couldn't accept Draco, then what hope did he have with everyone else? Harry hadn't said a word since his declaration, despite the noise going on around him, but had instead contented himself with snuggling down on top of Draco and nuzzling him lazily.

Draco himself wasn't quite sure what to make of Harry's declaration; he'd never really thought the other boy would return his feelings. But now that it was out in the open, Draco wondered if he was really better off not knowing. His thoughts spiralled downwards, becoming darker and darker as he contemplated just how much more difficult this would make everything. His feelings for Harry, something he thought, hoped, he had gotten rid of, had blazed back to life and he couldn't help the feelings that warmed him all over again. He could still hear Harry's voice whispering in his ear; feel the sensation of his breath ghosting over his skin. He clenched his teeth convulsively, and tried to block away those thoughts and feelings. He failed, of course, but he couldn't afford to let anything go. He had no desire to be thrown away when Harry realised that Draco wasn't worth losing his friends.

In the corner of the infirmary, he could hear Granger and Weasley arguing, the former hissing quietly while the latter was practically screaming bloody murder. Which, Draco supposed, might not be that far off.

Harry mumbled, shifting on top of him, and nuzzled at the hollow of his throat. Draco hissed and tried to move away, but the brunette's arm tightened possessively.

"Don't go, Draco," Harry murmured.

_Oh God, this is not happening to me. Please, let me wake up and let this all be a bad dream_, Draco thought to himself as he closed his eyes tightly, his breath coming faster as he felt himself growing warmer as the other boy continued to nuzzle at him lazily.

"He's a bloody _Junior Death Eater_!" Draco cringed at the fury in Weasley's voice as it rang out. "He'll kill Harry, not help him!"

"Ron, you don't know that," Hermione chided him quietly, though there was doubt in her voice. Draco was surprised to hear her defending him but was distracted by Harry's continued nuzzling.

"I don't think you're a Death Eater," Harry said softly.

Draco jerked in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"I don't think you're a Death Eater," Harry repeated. He lifted his head and looked up into Draco's eyes.

Draco's mouth opened slightly at the deep sincerity in Harry's voice and eyes and looked away, ashamed. He hadn't done anything to warrant such trust. "You don't know what you're talking about, Potter."

"Don't do that," Harry said softly, tilting Draco's face back to him. He stared down into Draco's dark grey eyes and felt his heart swell. Draco had such an unhappy expression on his face that Harry couldn't resist. He leant up, pressing lips against the other boy's. It was a soft kiss, sweet and full of love.

Draco gasped as he felt Harry kiss him, and he shut his eyes tightly, feeling his chest tighten as Harry conveyed so much through his touch. He felt himself start to weaken and he shoved at Harry's shoulders, catching the other boy by surprise. He rolled off the bed, stumbling as his foot caught on the sheets.

"No, wait, Draco!" Harry cried as he grabbed at the other boy's wrist.

Draco tugged hard, his eyes darting around for an escape route. "Let me go!"

By this time, they had caught the attention of the other people in the room, even Dee had raised her head from J.P.'s chest and was watching with narrowed eyes.

"Stop running away from me!" Harry yelled in frustration. He pulled the other boy back towards him, wrapping his arms tightly around Draco's waist.

"Let go, damn you!" Draco yelled again, a hint of desperation colouring his voice as he squirmed. From the corner of his eye, he saw Granger and Weasley watching them, their eyes wide and mouths open, though, Granger closed hers quickly and began speaking to her boyfriend quickly and urgently.

"Not until you tell me why you keep running away."

"Because you'll leave me!" Draco cried out, his eyes filling with tears. He twisted his body sharply out of Harry's arms and darted out of range, stumbling from the room clumsily.

"Potter."

Harry cringed as he heard Dee speak, her voice cold and angry. "I didn't mean to scare him," he replied weakly.

"I told you," Dee hissed, her eyes flashing. "I told you not to pressure him. But you didn't listen!" She sat up, ignoring J.P.'s hand on her shoulder. "I don't know if you realise just how hard you make things for him."

"I just don't understand why he keeps running away," Harry replied defensively.

"That's just it! You don't _understand_ anything!" Dee snapped.

"Now just wait a minute," Ron said, coming to Harry's defence. "He's a bloody git! For all we know, he could just be waiting for the right moment to send Harry to You-Know-Who!"

Dee sneered at the redhead. "You're a fool, Weasley."

Ron sputtered unintelligibly in reply.

Unnoticed, Hermione quietly slipped from the room.

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Draco had a fleeting sense of deja vu as he stumbled down the corridors near the dungeons. It made him give a bitter smile as he thought about how similar both situations were. With a half-hearted sneer, he pushed away thoughts of Harry and straightened, running a shaking hand through his hair.

"Stupid," he hissed to himself as he watched his hands continue to shake. He held one up near his face and watched as the shaking slowly subsided, his long fingers no longer twitching. When he was satisfied they weren't shaking noticeably, he started to walk back down to the dungeons.

"Malfoy!"

Draco stiffened, his blood running cold at one of the last voices he wanted to hear, especially at a time like this. He clenched his jaw and strode away from her, his long legs moving him quickly away. Or at least, he thought they were. He heard the slap of her shoes against the cold stone closing in on him.

Hermione ignored his blazing eyes as she spun him around. "Malfoy!"

"Get your fucking hands off me, Mudblood!"

Draco's head snapped to the side from the force of Hermione's slap and he stumbled back in surprise.

"Don't you dare say that again, Malfoy," Hermione hissed, her usually warm brown eyes narrowed angrily.

Draco was dismayed to realise she was almost as tall as he was as she fisted her hands in his robes and jerked him down an inch or two. "What do you-"

"Oh no, you're going to listen to me, Malfoy, and you're going to listen well," Hermione wasn't one for intimidation to make people listen to her, but she reasoned that with Malfoy, she really didn't have much of a choice.

"Now wait-"

She shook him, and in his rather fragile state, he stumbled again. "No, you listen to me. I mean it."

Draco stared down at her in a mixture of anger, doubt and, he would never admit it, quiet admiration. She was probably one of the few people who would manhandle him without fearing the consequences. He pulled back but grit his teeth when she jerked him back towards her. "What. Do. You. Want?" His quiet hiss sounded even more sibilant in the silence that followed.

Hermione searched his eyes with a grim expression. She had never seen Malfoy so shaken and she knew, just _knew_, that Harry was the reason for it. As much as it hurt her to think that Harry had fallen for someone who had been so cruel to her, to them, there was nothing she could do about it. She loved Harry and she wanted him to be happy, he deserved to be happy. For that she could be civil to the one he loved. But that didn't mean she had to like it.

She took a deep breath. "I know you love Harry, Malfoy."

Draco's eyes widened and he jerked back, shoving at her in an almost desperate fashion. "No, I don't!"

Hermione held onto him and pulled him back. "Yes, you do," she replied firmly. "And Harry loves you too."

Draco stilled for a moment and she pushed on. "He loves you and as much as I wished that it wasn't you he loved, I want him to be happy. I want him to smile with real happiness in his eyes, not just something to make people think everything's okay."

"That's all well and good, Granger, but I don't love him," Draco snapped back, but even to him, his voice sounded weak.

Hermione shook her head. "No, stop lying. Anyone can see it. Even when you fight, there's always been a spark between you. I never noticed it before; I always subconsciously pushed the thought away, I made myself think it was hatred. But now that I've heard it from Harry, I can't keep thinking like that." She sighed deeply. "It's hard for me to say this to you because of everything you've done to me, but... But I can see that it's not easy for you either."

Draco looked away, his expression blank. "You see too much into nothing, Granger."

"No, I see enough and more than I want to. You love Harry, but you're afraid."

"I'm not afraid," Draco hissed.

"You are! Don't deny it! You're afraid of what everyone will think, of what they'll say." She paused. "But most of all, you're afraid that Harry will leave you because of us."

"Are you saying he won't?" Draco asked coldly. He wrapped his hands around hers and squeezed.

"Ow!" Hermione winced as he tightened his grip until she was forced to let go. "What was that for?"

"I don't like being touched," Draco snapped as he moved out of arms reach. "And what right do you have to lecture me on my feelings? You mean nothing to me, your opinion is worth less than the dirt under my feet."

"You can't hide behind that sneer all the time, Malfoy," Hermione replied quietly, nursing her hands. "There will come a time when you have to be honest to yourself and realise that love isn't a feeling you can run from. It'll catch up with you and when it does, there will be nothing you can do."

"I don't need a lecture from you." Draco turned away. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"This isn't just about you!" Hermione cried. "Harry loves you!"

"He doesn't love me!" Draco roared as he turned back around. His eyes glimmered with unshed tears that he fought back. "He's in love with the idea of saving me, of saving my soul from eternal damnation. He could never love me, truly love me, for who I am."

"Why do you say that?" Hermione asked quietly, curiously. "He'd never tell anyone he loved them unless he meant it. To Harry, those words are sacred."

Draco sneered. "He's in love with the idea of loving me. How could he possibly love me? He doesn't _know_ me. You can't love someone you don't know."

"He sees something in you," _whatever that is_, "and he loves it," Hermione said softly.

"He's just deluding himself," Draco scoffed. "He's into the whole hero complex thing. Once I've been 'saved'", Draco sneered as he made the quotation marks with his hands. "He'll have no more use for me and throw me away. He'll be congratulated for saving me from the Dark while I watch him walk away from me."

"Harry wouldn't do that," Hermione insisted. "He loves you Malfoy, _really loves_ you. Don't throw this away because you're afraid of what people will say."

"What do you know of what they'll say?" Draco demanded. "What do you think they'll do?" He stepped closer to her, using the little height he had over her. His eyes snapped with fire, and Hermione wondered if, for a fleeting moment, whether or not she could burst into flames under that stare. He continued when she remained silent. "Can you imagine Harry being rejected by his peers because of who he claims to love? You Gryffindorks love him too much to fully push him away. In time, he'll be forgiven. But me, what do you think _my_ peers, _my_ Housemates will do?"

"I-"

Draco cut her off viciously. "My House is known for it's vindictive personalities, for its social hierarchy, but most of all, for it's hunger to watch another fall. If I ever said I had feelings for the Boy Who Lived, and I'm not saying I do, I would not only be cast out of my House, my reputation would be destroyed and those who have wanted to see my ruined will be only too glad to rip me apart. But that's not all I have to worry about. No, I have a father who's the right hand to the Dark Lord, a mother who's devoted to him second only to her demented sister, and above all else, I would have to compete with people Harry has always and will always love. What could I possibly gain from this?"

By now, Draco had backed her against the wall, his hair waving in the air as his power manifested itself. Hermione shrank away from him, both in realisation and understanding of his fears. She hadn't realised just how much he had to lose.

"Malfoy...," she trailed off, raising her hand but dropped it when he flinched away from her.

"Don't speak to me, Granger. Don't ever come near me again." With that, Draco turned on his heel and disappeared into the shadows down the hall.

Hermione brought a hand to her mouth and muffled a sob. She had never heard someone speak in a voice filled with so much pain.

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Harry rubbed a hand against his temple wearily.

"If you can't come up with an intelligent sentence, I suggest you don't speak at all," Dee said bitingly as Ron ranted and railed about Draco's numerous faults.

"How dare you! I can't believe J.P. likes you! You're nothing but a-"

"Watch your mouth, Ron." J.P. snapped from his position next to Harry. He'd moved off the bed and had sat down on the chair next to Harry's bed when the argument between Ron and Dee had escalated. He recognised Dee's desire to defend her friend and felt that Ron really needed to get some things sorted out.

"You know, you should have told them earlier," J.P. commented as he watched Ron's face go redder than his hair as Dee cut him down again, her voice quiet against his roars.

"I never thought the time was right," Harry replied tiredly.

"Perhaps," J.P. conceded, "but there are some things that should be done sooner rather than later." J.P. shrugged nonchalantly. "Then again, it's a bit of a moot point now, isn't it?"

Harry nodded and rubbed his neck. "You're right though, I should have said something before now. I had hoped that... I thought that..." Harry trailed off helplessly.

"Tell me, Harry, I'm just curious," J.P. said as he leant back in the chair. "Why do you love him?"

Harry stilled and looked at his hands. How could he explain it? "Have you ever looked at someone and seen something in them? You know, like a light behind their eyes?" Harry saw J.P. nod from the corner of his eye and continued. "I don't know when it started, I've heard you never do, but when we were fighting, I saw something behind his sneer. It was beautiful." Harry took a shaking breath. "Behind the ice I saw a fire, one that burned so brightly that I swear it blinded me in that moment."

Harry gave a small laugh and smiled softly. "He's always hiding behind that sneer of his, but for that moment, that _single_ moment, I saw something that I wanted to hold, cherish, for the rest of my life. I watched him for days, waiting for that light, but I never saw it again." Harry's lips twitched. "At least, not until we were fighting again. But, oh, I saw it again and it set my blood on fire." Harry's face turned red and he brushed his hair out of his face in embarrassment.

"Nothing to worry about, same thing happened to me. Except it wasn't during a fight." J.P. laughed and patted him on the knee. "Now keep going."

"I kept watching him and I started to see things I never noticed before. The way he'd help Crabbe and Goyle with their homework in the library when he thought no one was looking, or how he'd go out of his way to find them something good for their birthdays or Christmas. Or how he and Blaise would fool around sometimes. The younger years look up to him, and he'd always, ever so subtly, make sure that they knew where they were meant to be and what they were meant to do. He can be so _good_ when he wants to be, when he thinks no one sees." Harry smiled softly, remembering the soft smile that had graced Draco's face when he had given Goyle something that had made the large boy beam with happiness on his birthday.

"He's so afraid of everyone. Not consciously though, but rather, he's afraid that someone will hurt him. He's not too worried about Crabbe and Goyle, their loyalty is solely to him, but the others around him, he's not too sure. And I don't blame him."

"You want to save him?"

Harry shook his head adamantly. "No, this goes beyond that. I want to protect him; I want to show him that you can trust someone. I want to-to love him. I want him to love me. I want him to know how it feels to rely on other people because they're your friends and they won't hurt you." Harry breathed deeply. "But most of all, I want him to be free."

"Free?"

"Yeah, free. He's caged, he's being held captive by something that only he can break free from. If he can break free of that, it would be so beautiful. To see him smile freely, laugh..." Harry gave J.P. a sad smile. "Don't I sound so sappy?"

"There's nothing wrong with that, Harry," J.P. said softly. "You just said what you felt, no one can make fun of that."

"How do you feel about Dee?"

"To me, Dee has always been the light in my life. I have always known that she would be mine and I would be hers and no one could ever change that." He smiled as he watched Dee calmly murmur something that made Ron gape at her. "Even when we were children, a smile from her, a kiss on the cheek, could chase away the monsters in the night or the pain from a fall. Her soul has so much warmth in it, so much light." He turned to Harry. "She might seem cold, but inside, just below the surface, there's so much warmth. Have you ever heard the phrase, 'ice so cold it burns'?"

Harry shook his head.

"No? Well, that's what she is. She might look cold, sound cold, feel cold... But if you're lucky enough to get past that, the passion that simmers just under her skin could burn you to ashes and you'd never even care."

"I see," Harry murmured.

"She's like your Draco on that account. Both of them don't usually indulge themselves in public displays of affection, but if they love you, you will know. They're the type that will love only a few times in their lives. Once? Twice? But when they love, they will love with everything they have, with everything they can give. Their love is intense and unwavering, faithful and never ending."

Harry swallowed. "That's..."

"Just remember Harry, don't break Draco's trust. If he's anything like Dee, he will never, _ever_ forgive you. Sure, Dee will forget, but you'll never be able to get back the level of trust you once had with her," J.P. warned him. "Do not push Draco more than he is willing to go." He gave him a sheepish smile. "I may have been a bit to quick to tell you to go for it, but I wasn't kidding. Chase him, make him feel wanted and loved." J.P. winked, easing the serious mood. "He's sure to make the catch infinitely more fun and satisfying than the hunt."

"Harry?"

They both turned at the soft voice and saw Hermione looking at them.

"What's wrong, Mione?" Harry asked as he noticed her pink rimmed eyes.

"I just want you to know, whatever happens, if you want Malfoy, I won't turn my back on you," Hermione said softly. "I-I don't know if I can ever forgive him, but I'm willing to accept him."

"Mione..." Harry whispered. "I don't know what to say."

She gave him a tremulous smile. "Just don't screw things up."

Harry hopped off the bed and swept her into a tight hug, burying his face against her hair. "Thank you," he whispered thickly.

"I know he loves you, Harry." She hugged him back fiercely. "I'll take care of Ron."

"I'm going to go find Draco." Dee announced as she finished delivering yet another sharp verbal bite towards Ron. She gave J.P. a small nod as she swung her legs off the bed and strode out the infirmary. No one would ever have been able to tell she was a sobbing wreck a little over an hour ago from her proud air.

"Wha...?" Ron asked with a blink, not quite sure to make of her exit.

"Ron, we need to have a little talk," Harry said after taking a deep breath.

Ron stiffened and turned to face him. "No, no, we're not going to discuss this. There's nothing to discuss!"

"Ron, listen," Harry insisted. "You can't just blank this all out just because you don't like it."

"Harry, you just collapsed, I don't think anything you say can be taken that seriously," Ron replied stubbornly.

"Ron, stop it," Hermione said. "You know as well as I do, that Harry would never, ever say something like that if he didn't mean it."

"Harry wasn't exactly feeling his best at that moment," Ron repeated. He shook his head decisively. "No, Harry can't be in love with Malfoy."

"Why not?" Harry asked quietly. "Why can't I love him?"

"Because he's a git! He's a bloody bastard! All that ever comes out of his mouth is filth!"

"Maybe because that's all he's ever had the chance to do!" Hermione snapped. "Think about it, Ron. Malfoy's the Prince of Slytherin, all the others in his House look up to him, idolise him, but at the same time, they're waiting for him to slip up so they can destroy him. He lives in constant fear that someone will stab him in the back and he's never sure about who he can trust." Hermione paused. "All I'm saying, Ron, is that Malfoy doesn't know how to do anything but attack before others can attack him. It's his own type of defensive mechanism."

"What are you going on about?" asked Ron, completely bewildered at Hermione's defence. "How can you defend him?"

"Malfoy might be a complete and utter bastard, Ron, but he's never had any other example to follow. And if he did show any sign of weakness, he'd be ripped to pieces." Hermione's voice was sad. "He's never known what it's like to feel safe."

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Dee tilted her head to the side as she regarded the huge portrait that guarded Draco's rooms. She hadn't had to deal with it before as Draco had always gone in before her and had opened it. She frowned slightly. She knew that it didn't require a verbal password, if it had, she would have heard Draco say it before. She looked behind her and stared pensively out past the translucent shadow that was used to guard the small hallway in front of the portrait.

Turning back to the portrait in front of her, she sighed. "How do I get you to open?" she asked out loud, watching the huge emerald green dragon that was curled against a towering mound of gold and jewels. It regarded her silently; it's deep red eyes watching her curiously. A faint puff of smoke floated away from its flaring nostrils and she sighed again.

"How many ways can you open a portrait?" she mused to herself. "There are passwords, special levers or places on the picture..." She looked at the dragon and then at the frame. "Hm." Blinking rapidly, she decided to cheat and use her Sight. Scanning the portrait from top to bottom slowly, she finally located a tiny magical signature in the middle of the portrait, right next to the lazily flicking left ear of the dragon. Dee reached out and touched it lightly, pleased when the dragon gave her a toothy grin and swung open.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to figure out how to open it," Draco said tonelessly as he stared blankly into the fireplace in front of him.

Dee stepped into the room cautiously and regarded her male counterpart sadly. She could see the telltale redness rimming his eyes and the way they drooped tiredly. "Draco."

Draco let out a bitter chuckle, rolling his head to look at her. "Dee."

Silently, Dee made her way to him, kneeling at his feet and placing her hands on his knees and resting her cheek against her hands. "Mon frère, je t'en prie, ne sois pas bouleversé 1."

Draco looked down at her, his hand coming down to slide through her bangs. "Je ne suis pas bouleversé 2."

"Dans ce cas, qu'es-tu donc? 3?"

"Seul 4."

Dee shook her head vehemently. "No, you're not alone, Draco."

"Yes, I am."

"You're not alone, you have me," Dee insisted. She raised her head and caught his hand. "You're never alone."

"I can't trust anyone," Draco replied duly.

"You can trust me," she replied. "I'll never betray you." She let his hand go and he started combing it through her bangs again.

"You're different," he murmured. "You're my sister."

"Is this about Potter?" Dee ventured.

Draco stiffened, his fingers tightening in her hair and she winced. Draco smoothed her hair in apology. "Yes."

"I think... I think he truly does love you, Draco," Dee said softly. She caught his hand when it withdrew from her bangs. "Don't run from this, mon cher5. You have to face up to this some time."

Draco pushed her away as he got to his feet, glaring down at her. "What do you know of it? It's not going to be you who'll be ostracised!"

She tilted her head back to look at him, folding her hands on her lap. "Draco, tell me, what would be the difference from how you live now?"

He blinked at her, his mouth opening and closing quickly as he tried to think of a reply. He fell back into his chair with a tired groan and buried his face in his hands. "This wasn't meant to happen, Dee."

She moved closer to him and cupped his face in her hands. "Nothing's ever certain, Draco." She pressed her forehead against his and looked him in the eye. "Be like the water, Draco, flow over those who would block your way, and when you find you can't push them down, flow around them and wear them away until they do bow to you."

Draco gave her a tired smirk. "Is that what you do?"

"Of course," Dee replied with an answering smile. "I will have what I desire, one way or the other. All that is important is the final prize."

"And do you think the prize I seek is worth it?"

"Oh yes, Draco," Dee breathed. "Never doubt it. Love is a flame that I have no qualms embracing, no matter how much it might burn me. To love and be loved in return is indescribable."

"To love and be loved..." Draco murmured softly, his eyes becoming misty in thought. "To love and be loved."

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1 Please don't be upset, brother.

2 I'm not upset.

3 Then what are you?

4 Alone.

5 My dear

Thanks a lot to my lovely beta **lucidity**. She's such a great beta! huggles LOL I'd love to thank **ScaryAnna** for the French. I really, really appreciated it. Thanks!

Now, I'd like to thank all my wonderful reviewers! Your support is so much appreciated!

**tarzoniagirl**: I'm glad you like it! I'm happy that you decided to read this as your introduction to HPDM! It's an honour! I'm very flattered to think that you think it's the best you've ever read! I've always been very worried that people don't like Flip Side. Then again, I'm just paranoid I think... LOL I hope you liked the update!

**Pippinspen**: I'm glad you like it! I'm sorry if you were upset by the lack of a real update, but I thought it was best to put it up sooner rather than later... Hope you liked the new chapter!

**Yaoi no Megami**: I'm really very sorry that you didn't like the last update. I s'ppose you could read the rest of the fic without reading it. But, I must say that it will be a bit helpful to have a general gist of it later on. But hopefully you were happy with this new chapter.

**Anny Pervert Snape**: Glad you liked it! Hopefully, you liked this one too.

**Mara202**: I'm glad you found it interesting! It was fun to write. I have way too much stuff going on in my rather empty head... LOL Hope you liked the update!

2005-03-20

**Remmy Wolf**: turns red at you praise It's nothing, really. Ano, to be honest, I don't really think that much of my writing skills. I didn't get a very high score for my creative writing for my major work in 12th grade so I was a little put off by it. But, I came along this idea while I was stewing in the swelting heat of the Philippines just before I posted this. Actually, I was really unsure as to whether or not I was going to end up posting this fic. I was going to scrap it originally, cuz I thought no one would read it. I'm glad I didn't though; it seems to be reasonably well liked! I'm glad you liked Dee. She's actually what I wish I could be, but alas! I'm a rather unexciting, uncool person. LOL I've thought about writing a book, but I don't have the time. It takes long enough to update this and I don't think I'd be able to study and write at the same time. I was thinking of doing something after I graduate which is still a fair while yet if I get into Honours year and PhD after that, I'm only a sophomore as it is and I still have another year of my actual course to go before I can consider the Honours and PhD. I'm very happy you think I'm good enough to be published, it's very uplifting and boosting for me! huggles Thanks so much! I really hope you enjoyed this new chapter.

**Kilikapele**: It's good to hear you liked the explination! I was quite apprehensive as to whether or not to release it but I figured it would be better to be sooner rather than later. I think the term pickle really suits Draco. Dunno why though... LOL Hope you liked the update!

**Irritated Reader**:cringes and dodges all the fruit and vegetables Ano, gomen! I'm really sorry you didn't like the explination! Demo, it'll be useful later! I hope you liked the update! claps her hands together in prayer LOL

**Squifi**: It's great that you liked the explanation. I've been getting... mixed responses, as you may have noticed if you've gone over my other reviews. LOL Draco is a sad little pickle, but things will pick up for him. He's just got to realise that there are people who care about him. LOL It didn't sound creepy until you said it did. I hope you liked the update.

**Isis-mystic**: The teaser was actually suggested by my beta. I had forgotten about putting one in until she mentioned it... ;; LOL Oh, don't worry, there will be much kissing to be had in the next chapter! Well, some. LOL Hope you liked the update!

**thrnbrooke**: I hope this chapter gave you enough to be satisfied as well as just enough to keep you waiting for more! LOL

**lucidity**: I tend to think about too much so I thought it would be best to write it down before my mind came up with more bizarreness. LOL I thought you'd like the teaser! Ah, not to worry, Vampires are in the next chapter. That's what DADA's for, ne? LOL

**Mon2**: I'm sure J.K.R. has her own world in her head. I think it just sounded better here cuz I actually wrote it out for you to read... LOL But, I have to be grateful to her for having written HP for me to be able to tinker around with it, ne? LOL I really hope you enjoyed this update!

**Heart and Soul**: winks It wouldn't be fun to write if I didn't leave my readers hanging! LOL I hope you liked the new chapter!

Okay, now, I'd like to apologise for what I'm going to say next. No, I'm not going to stop the story or put it on hiatus or anything like that, but it has something to do with my replies to your reviews. See, it has recently come to my attention that I may get into trouble for replying to your reviews in this fashion, so I'm sorry to say that I will not be replying to them in such fashion later on. I will be replying to them individually through e-mail for those who leave one and then just a list at the end of the chapters later on. I'm really sorry about how impersonal it seems, but I don't want FS deleted and I don't think you want it to be either.

By the way, I'm totally stoked cuz I was in a TKD competition the other week and I came first in technical breaking, second in poomse (katas/patterns) and third in Team Display. Yay! LOL I also got the Black Belt Encouragement Award. Yayness! LOL

Take care, savvy?

Until next chapter,

DW.


	15. You've got to kiss the boy

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**Summary:** Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are one of a kind. Maybe. Alternate worlds are meant to stay separate but not everything turns out the way they're supposed to. How much trouble can two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters get into? Especially when someone decides to up the ante and make things a whole lot worse for them all. Slash, het. HP/DM, HP/DM, RW/HG and more.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though).

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it. I don't own Tekuu no Escaflowne either. I wish I owned Van and Folken Fanel though... LOL

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**Flip Side**

**Chapter Fourteen: You've got to kiss the boy**

An uneasy truce had struck up between the Terrific Trio and Draco Malfoy, and many were rather dubious as to the reasons behind it, least of all, the Slytherins who eyed their Prince with a mixture of disbelief and doubt.

"So, Malfoy, care to tell me what all this is about?" Blaise asked as he sat down opposite Draco and beside Millicent early one morning. "All this lack of hostility is a bit... disconcerting."

"Big word, Blaise. Did you pick that up from one of your porn magazines?" Draco mocked as he slathered cream onto a scone.

Blaise ignored the jibe and reached for a scone. "I'll have you know that I've been listening to you and Dee converse and have taken it upon myself to become more skilled in the art of polite and intelligent conversation," Blaise retorted, flashing Dee, who was sitting next to Draco, a wink to which she promptly rolled her eyes.

"You sound like a prat," Draco sneered.

"I'm merely imitating you," Blaise answered.

Draco scowled darkly. "I do not sound like that."

"Yes, you do," Blaise replied. "You sound like you've memorised a dictionary and spit out words as they come to you."

"You ignorant plebe," Draco sneered. "Just because I use words of more than five letters. I'm surprised you have enough energy to string more than two words together considering how tired you should be after all your, ahem, bathroom sessions."

Blaise had slowly started turned red the moment Draco said 'energy' and he was sputtering unintelligibly by the time Draco finished moments later. "What-you-that's-"

Dee tilted her head towards Millicent as they giggled together at Blaise's red face. "Perhaps you should rethink your approach, Blaise," Dee said with an amused smile.

"Ah, he wasn't serious about the... er, thing," Blaise said, still red. He coughed uncomfortably at the look she gave him. "Ah, so, what do you think about the upcoming Quidditch match?"

"How subtle, Blaise," Draco said sarcastically. "But I think, as usual, the Gryffindorks will trounce Hufflepuff into the ground."

"I haven't seen Hufflepuff play," Dee commented. "Are they really that bad?"

"They're not exactly shining examples of the sport," Millicent murmured. "They're a bit on the flaky side."

"How disappointing." Dee's face fell slightly. She'd been looking forward to watching a game and it looked like it wasn't going to be that exciting.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure the Gryffindorks will be nice and make it last a little longer than it normally would," Millicent reassured her.

Dee smiled. "Thanks, Millie."

The other girl blushed at the nickname and mumbled a reply as she hastily ate some porridge.

"Which reminds me," Draco said, "we've got training after classes today."

Blaise groaned and rubbed his eyes. "But why?" he whined.

"Because we're playing Ravenclaw next month and they're not as flaky as Hufflepuff. We might actually get a bit of a fight from them."

"I guess so," Blaise agreed reluctantly. "We won't be out for too long, will we?"

"No, just from six to seven-thirty. After that, the Gryffindorks have got the field."

"Good, I have to finish my Transfiguration's essay."

"Weren't we given that three weeks ago, Blaise?" Dee asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, not you too!" Blaise cried as he pointed between the two silvery blondes with something akin to accusation on his face. "First him, and now you sweet Dee! How can you two be so studious?"

They both rolled their eyes at his dramatics and replied in synch. "Easily." They shared identical grins as Blaise stared at them in horror.

"You two scare me."

"That's the point," they replied in unison and watched as Blaise's expression became more and more scared. He opened and closed his mouth for a moment before turning away from them, muttering under his breath about evil twins and stuffing his mouth with his scone.

"That's cool," Crabbe and Goyle grunted.

"Why, thank you," Dee said as she beamed at them. "I've always wanted a sibling to do that with." She giggled. "Maman hates it when Papa and I do it sometimes."

Draco smiled as she continued chatting with the large boys. Despite his Potter Problem, he was still a bit mystified by Dee's name for it; he was feeling a lot happier than he had ever felt for a long time. Dee's presence was definitely something he didn't think he'd ever grow tired of. She gave him affection and unquestioning loyalty, something he didn't think anyone else had ever given him. She was like a sister, no, she _was_ his sister, in every sense of the word, in every way that mattered.

Dee sensed his thoughtful mood and nudged him lightly, giving him a smile and squeezing his hand lightly.

"We have DADA first lesson," Millicent said. "Didn't Lupin say we were going to go over vampires today?"

"Professor Lupin," Dee corrected absently. "I remember him mentioning that."

"Your vampires are different, aren't they?" Draco asked.

Dee bobbed her head in agreement. "Yes, it should be interesting to learn just how different they really are."

"They're different? What? They don't suck blood or something?" Blaise asked.

"No, they do suck blood. Their physiology is different, though, and a few other traits." Dee shrugged. "Maybe if there's time, I'll tell you later."

"She's talked to you about it, hasn't she?" Blaise asked Draco in an accusatory manner as he waved his spoon around.

"Yes, she has," Draco replied with a smirk.

Blaise scowled when no other answer was forthcoming and poked Millicent in the side lightly. "Has she talked to you about vampires?"

Millicent blinked at Blaise, a light flush covering her cheeks as she ducked her head shyly again. "No, she hasn't."

"Stop poking at people, Blaise. It makes you look like a weirdo," Dee said good naturedly as she eyed Millicent's shadowed face and Blaise's continued prodding.

"A weirdo? I'll have you know that poking people is a very good way of getting their attention!" he replied with a sniff.

"It does get someone's attention," Millicent said as she rubbed at her side and jostled Blaise with her shoulder. The boy almost toppled off his chair before righting himself. He blinked at Millicent like he'd never seen her before for a moment, and then burst into laughter, clapping her on the shoulder.

"I like you!" He turned towards Dee and Draco and stuck out his tongue again. "See? Someone appreciates me!"

"You're such a flirt, Blaise," Draco said as he rolled his eyes and Dee hid her own knowing smile as Millicent ducked her head again. Draco picked up his napkin and dabbed at his mouth. "And we should really be getting off to class."

"But I haven't eaten anything yet!" Blaise complained as he got up. Millicent followed as she picked up an apple and put it into one of the many pockets of her robes.

"You stuffed a half dozen scones into your mouth, don't tell me you're still hungry!" Draco said, his lips twisting into a slightly disgusted expression, as he stood up and leant Dee a hand. Crabbe and Goyle had already gotten to their feet and the six of them left the hall.

"What do you know about eating? You and Dee eat hardly anything!" Blaise turned back to Millicent and ducked his head down to her ear and whispered conspiratorially, "Do you think that's how they stay so thin?"

"Maybe they just don't stuff their faces like you do," Millicent replied. She blinked and blushed as she realised what she just said but calmed down when she realised that Blaise hadn't been insulted by her comment.

"True, but then again, they don't really seem to eat. I mean, what did they eat before I got there?"

"Dee ate an apple, she had a scone and some tea. Draco had the same thing too, but a piece of toast as well."

"How can they live on that?" Blaise muttered. "I tell you, it's just not fair!"

Millicent giggled as Blaise waved his arms around and continued to go on about the injustice of it all.

"Aren't they cute?" Dee said as she covered her mouth to hide her wide smile.

"If that's your thing," Draco said doubtfully. To be honest, he hadn't ever really thought of Blaise and Millicent ever being a couple, but Dee insisted that they made a cute pair.

"Oh, don't be such a curmudgeon!" Dee said as she tugged on his sleeve. "They'd make each other happy." She seemed almost giddy with the prospect of matchmaking and Draco smiled slightly as she fairly glowed with it.

"You do what you like," he replied with a good-natured rolling of his eyes.

"I always do."

"What are you two twittering about?" Blaise asked as he slung an arm around Dee's shoulders.

"Nothing in particular. And get your arm off me," Dee said as she shrugged him off.

"Oh, you're no fun." Blaise pouted at her. "Millicent, come here."

"What?" Millicent asked curiously.

Blaise slung an arm over her shoulder and stuck his tongue out at Dee. "I've found a new friend!"

"Yes, you go play with your new friend!" Dee chirped brightly, a sly smile curving her lips.

"Ah..." Millicent could feel her face getting very hot as Blaise pulled her closer and leaned down to her again.

"That Dee's a strange girl."

"Ah." _Not as weird as you though,_ Millicent thought as she watched him talk.

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Harry watched as the six Slytherins left the Great Hall, his eyes fixed on Draco's back as the shorter boy walked away.

"Y'know, if you keep staring like that, the whole school will know you're stalking him," J.P. said with an amused smile as Harry flushed and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"I do not stalk him!" he muttered. "I merely watch him carefully in order to best determine my next course of action."

"Right, you say it any way you want," J.P. said as he happily ate more toast and jam. "But I know you're stalking him."

Harry childishly stuck out his tongue and shoved a piece of toast into his mouth as he ignored J.P.'s amused chuckles.

"I still think you should just find someone else to moon over," Ron muttered. "It's _Malfoy_, for crying out loud.

Harry groaned and shot Ron a baleful glare. "We've been _over_ this, Ron!"

Ron hunched his shoulders and glared at the Slytherin table. "All I'm saying is that you could do better. He's a slimy git, that's all."

"He is not, stop insulting him! He hasn't said a word to you all week."

"That doesn't mean he's not plotting to kill me in my sleep."

"_I'm _plotting to kill you in your sleep," Harry hissed.

"Really Ron, just stop it," Hermione put in exasperatedly.

"But Mione-" Ron looked ready to whine but his girlfriend gave him a stern look and rapped him on the head with her unused spoon.

"No! We've already talked about this! You're Harry's best friend, give him some support!" Hermione gave Harry a smile that he returned gratefully.

"Fine, fine." Ron muttered as he sulked. "I won't say anything... unpleasant to the slimy git. Ow!"

"Watch it, Ron." Hermione said with a frown.

"Fine, jeez. Just stop hitting me!"

"You're so whipped," J.P. snickered at Ron.

"Oh yeah? You jump to attention whenever Dee snaps her fingers," Ron snapped back.

"Hey, it's easier to go along with it than against it, trust me." J.P. nodded in a sage-like manner.

"I'd listen to him if I were you, Ron," Ginny piped in as she leant across her brother to grab a piece of toast.

Ron jumped. "Where'd you come from?"

"Ah, nowhere." Ginny said with an innocent expression on her face.

Harry blinked as he noticed Neville looking at his goblet as though it was the most interesting thing in he world and something clicked into place in his head. He bit back a snicker and looked up at J.P. to see him grinning at him.

'Ginny and Neville, huh?' J.P. mouthed at him. Harry nodded and grinned. He caught Neville's eye and winked, causing the shy boy to blush and gulp down his pumpkin juice.

"Where have you been, Ginny?" Ron asked. "Breakfast's almost done!"

"I was a little busy," Ginny replied with a shrug. "Besides, I'm a big girl now, I can look after myself. I don't need you to coddle me."

Ron looked affronted. "You're my little sister! I have a right to know where you've been!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and nibbled at her toast, sending Neville a small smile as Ron ranted on.

"Ron, she's a teenager, I think you can stop trying to boss her around," Hermione put in.

Ginny shot her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Mione!"

"But she's my little sister!"

"Yes, and it's very sweet of you to worry, but really, she's perfectly capable of looking after herself," Hermione admonished with a smile.

"I just get worried, that's all," Ron sulked.

"Thanks, Ron. I love you for it, but really, I'll be fine." She leant over and pecked Ron on the cheek, causing him to flush slightly.

"Oh no! We'd better get going!" Hermione cried as she hastily swallowed her pumpkin juice and hauled Ron to his feet. "Come on you guys, move it!"

"But we haven't finished eating yet!" J.P. cried even as he got to his feet, stuffing fruit into his pockets and sloppily shoving his toast into his mouth. The three boys quickly followed Hermione out of the hall after she shot them a stern look.

The foursome quickly made their way to the DADA classroom and were surprised by the sight that met them when they walked through the door.

Millicent was covering her face with her hands as Blaise fluttered his hands around with a helpless look on his face. There was a livid palm print on the side of his face, about the size of Millicent's hand.

Dee was glaring at Blaise from beside the embarrassed girl, her hand resting on her shoulder. "What is _wrong_ with you, Zabini?" Though her expression was fierce, there was a certain mischievous satisfaction in her eyes. J.P. gave a soft snicker that only Harry heard.

"I'm sorry! My hand slipped! I didn't mean it!" Blaise reached out to Millicent but the girl turned away, her face obviously red with embarrassment.

"I think you've scarred her enough," Draco drawled. "Really, to think you can't even keep your hands to yourself for more than a minute."

"Shut up!" Blaise snapped before turning back to Millicent. "Millie, I'm really sorry, I didn't... My hand slipped."

"It's-it's okay," Millicent said through her hands. She huffed and raised her head, her face still red, and gave him a tentative smile. "It's a bit hard to move with someone who's shorter than you."

"Yeah, sorry." Blaise let out a nervous laugh.

"Being perverted, Zabini?" Ron asked snidely as he viewed the scene with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.

"Shut the hell up, Gryffindork!" Blaise barked out as he glared at them. He sat down at the table next to Draco and proceeded to ignore the Gryffindors.

"That's the best you could come up with?" Ron asked.

"Oh, I can think of a lot of things to call you," Draco drawled in Blaise's defence, his eyes narrowing.

"Why don't you-"

"_Leave it_, Ron," Harry snapped, forcing his friend down into the seat next to Hermione. "Just leave it."

"Yeah, after all, if you don't, Zabini just might decide to curse you," J.P. said in a disturbingly cheerful voice as he snickered.

"Shut up, Potter!" Zabini hissed from the other side of the room.

"I didn't say anything," Harry replied with a twitch of his lips.

"Not you, Potter. The other one."

"Oh, me?" J.P. asked. "Well, I didn't think you'd hear, really."

"Excuse me?" Blaise sounded outraged by the remark. "Are you calling me deaf?"

"Well-"

"That's enough, you two." The two boys stopped scowling at each other when they heard Professor Lupin's voice from the front of the room.

"Hello, Professor," Harry said with a smile that was touched with concern. "How are you feeling today?" Full moon had only been a few nights ago, and Remus still looked tired.

"As well as could be expected," he replied with a soft smile. "But it would have been better if I didn't have to come into a room where the occupants are arguing." He gave them all meaningful glance. The Slytherins gave him a half-hearted sneer, except for Dee who gave him a small smile and a nod.

"The rest of the class should be arriving soon, so I suggest you settle down."

"Yes, sir," they all replied, albeit some more reluctantly than others.

"Good."

True to his words, the rest of the class shuffled in, most chattering loudly to each other. It took them a few minutes to get to their seats, and even then, there was some jostling as the class segregated themselves into their Houses, the Slytherins along the window side of the room and the Gryffindors on the other.

"Okay, okay, everyone, settle down." Remus said amicably as he gave them all a smile. "Like I said last lesson, we'll be going over vampires today."

There was a soft murmur around the class and Blaise gave Dee a pointed look, which she pretended not to notice.

"Now, does anyone want to share what they already know about them?" Remus said encouragingly.

Seamus raised his hand. "They drink blood."

"Yes, that's true. Anyone else?"

"They can't tolerate sunlight. In fact, they burst into flames and then turn into ashes when exposed to it," Hermione volunteered. "They also have a strong affiliation to bats and ravens."

"Very good, five points to Gryffindor," Remus said, pleased with Hermione's answer.

Not to be outdone, a few of the Slytherins raised their hands.

"Vampires are social creatures, despite what people think. They prefer to live in groups rather than alone," Blaise said when Remus asked him.

"Good, five points to Slytherin," Remus murmured with a nod. "Their social hierarchy is very similar to that of royal families of humans."

"Can they really turn into bats and crows?" Neville asked.

"Well, there are some that can, but it's not a universal trait." Remus must have seen the ghost of a smile that flitted over Dee's face as he eyed her curiously. "Miss Malfoy, in your world, are vampires any different?"

Dee ignored the way Blaise sat forward in his seat eagerly. "A little, from what I've heard."

"Would you like to tell us how?" Remus pressed gently.

"From what I understand, your vampires are considered the undead, am I correct?" There was a low murmur of agreement from the rest of the class. "Well, in my world, vampires aren't. They're alive and can reproduce just like a normal human."

"That's a surprise," Remus said, blinking. The rest of the class, save J.P. and Draco, echoed his sentiments. "How exactly does that work?"

"I've never really studied their physiology, but from what I gather, they're not that much different from humans." Dee paused, frowning slightly. "They drink blood as well, but they can eat normal food without any negative side effects."

"How can they reproduce?"

"Like I said, they've got the same basic physiology as humans. Basically, they birth live young like any other mammalian species."

"Can they only, er, mate with other vampires?" Blaise asked.

"No, they can produce offspring with any humanoid being."

Harry blinked and leant over to J.P. who was doodling on the edge of his scroll absently. "She sounds like a text book," he whispered.

J.P. nodded. "Yeah, she totally loves this sort of stuff. She'll be giving us a detailed explanation soon enough." He glanced at Hermione and watched as her face took on a worshipful expression. "Seems Hermione's having fun."

Harry chuckled and glanced at Draco. He noticed how interested the other boy looked and wondered if he could ever garner such an intense look from him.

"So they can have kids with humans?'

"Yes. Humans, veelas, sirens, werewolves," Dee twitched slightly at some of the disgusted looks some of the Slytherins sported, "those of mixed blood... Basically any humanoid species."

"That's very interesting," Remus said with a smile. "Very interesting indeed. Did you study them back in your world?"

"Yes, but they were only a small part of our course. Mine was a more personal interest," Dee replied.

Harry heard J.P. mutter something about freaky vampire uncles and protective grandmothers and shot the other boy a questioning glance but J.P. seemed to be in the middle of an inner rant.

"Indeed," Remus murmured. "Well, that makes the assignment-" he gave the class an amused smile when everybody, except Dee and Hermione, groaned. "Now, now, it won't be that bad, I promise."

There was a discontented murmur but everyone settled down, though the majority of the Slytherins were casting Remus annoyed looks.

"It's to be done in pairs," Remus paused again as another hum of low, excited murmurs broke out. He almost wished he didn't have to say what was coming next. _Almost_. "But, you must be partnered with someone from the other House."

"What?" Ron blurted out. "With a Slytherin?"

"Oh, trust me, Weasel, we're just as horrified as you are," Draco sneered. He turned his eyes back to Remus. "You can't honestly expect us to agree to something like that, can you?"

The class murmured in agreement, their heads nodding, though the Gryffindors looked reluctant to agree with the Ice Prince. However, there was a slight edge of awe in their gazes as they watched Draco speaking to their professor in a way many of them wouldn't even dare unless in private, and even then, probably not.

"It was the Headmaster's decision. He only wants you to learn how to work together," Remus replied in an almost coaxing tone. He could tell he wasn't going to be very successful when Draco's eyes darkened.

"Do you seriously think that we can work together in this?" Draco asked with a scowl.

"If you don't, you fail this assignment," Remus replied smoothly.

Draco's lips parted slightly, hissing out between his teeth as he regarded his professor. "Is that so," he drawled, his voice cold.

"Well, if that's all, I think I should assign partners now," Remus said quickly in case anyone else wanted to say anything.

"Your dragon looks like he's going to kill your friend," J.P. murmured. "I'd calm him down if I were you."

"A bit hard to do from over here," Harry said as he frowned. Draco's hands were gripping the edge of the desk, his knuckles white and the muscles in his jaw were clenched tight. He winced as he thought about the other boy's teeth grinding together. He looked absolutely furious, not to mention even Blaise was leaning away from him with a wary look on his face.

"All right, the partners are as follows: Hermione Granger and Millicent Bulstrode, Seamus Finnegan and Gregory Goyle, Dean Thomas and Vincent Crabbe, Pansy Parkinson and Lavender Brown, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley and Blaise Zabini," Remus read out the list, ignoring the furious whispers that accompanied the names he read out.

Harry stared at Draco, tuning out Remus's voice as he watched the other boy slowly turn to him. Harry winced at the angry glare he got, as thought their situation was all his fault.

"You're gonna gave your hands full there," J.P. said in an almost cheerful manner.

"Thanks," Harry muttered. "I don't think that's exactly what I wanted to hear."

"Well, at least you get to spend time with him," J.P. pointed out.

"Yeah, but he might try to kill me. I mean, look at him!"

"He looks rather angry, yeah."

"You're not helping."

"Sorry."

"What am I going to do? He'll never talk to me!"

"It could be worse," J.P. said in a placating manner, "you could be stuck with Parkinson."

Harry shuddered violently. Yes, that definitely would be worse. He turned back to Draco and shifted under the heated stare. He knew it was more likely anger than barely controlled lust, but he shifted uncomfortably as the fire in those eyes made heat pool in his belly. He ignored J.P.'s knowing chuckle.

"And I think it's only fair for Dee Malfoy and J.P. Potter to go together," Remus finished off his list and lay it down on his desk.

"This is never going to work!" A voice called from the back, but Harry wasn't sure who is was, the whispers of annoyance had become loud complaints that filled the room unhappily.

"All right, settle down, settle down!" Remus called loudly, his voice ringing with authority. "I know you might not like your partners, but I hope I can trust you to act in a manner that will not cause you to lose House points." He gave them all a level look. "Now, this assignment is due in three weeks. It must be four feet long and you are to prepare a short talk to summarise your research for the class." He gave a nod towards Hermione as she raised her hand.

"What's the topic of our assignment?" Hermione asked.

"Vampires. However, each pair will be researching a different aspect of vampires and their unique culture."

"How are we going to know our topics?" Lavender asked tentatively, avoiding Pansy's burning glare.

"I've made a list of topics and I've put them into this bowl," Remus replied as he pulled a bowl out in front of him. It was large and made of glass and they could clearly see a pile of folded bits of paper sitting in it. "Each pair will draw a piece of paper and they will do the topic that's written on it. A fair way to decide, I think."

"So they're all different?" Blaise asked.

"Yes, every pair has a different topic, I don't want anyone to do the same thing." Remus stood up and held the bowl out in front of him. "Now, I want each pair to come up here and draw their topic. We'll start with Hermione and Millicent."

Hermione and Millicent got up reluctantly but didn't make any comment as they walked to the front. They gave each other a look as to decide who picked out the paper and Millicent shrugged. Hermione peered at the pile of paper and stuck her hand into the bowl, fishing around for a moment before picking out their topic.

"Tell the class what you have," Remus encouraged.

"We're doing Vampiric magic," Hermione replied, a light of interest in her eyes as she handed the slip to Millicent so she could have a look.

"Nice, nice. Now, have a seat. Next up, Seamus and Gregory."

Draco pressed his lips into a tight line as he watched the pairs get up and select their topics. He could feel his heart beat pounding at the thought of having to spend time with Harry, the mixture of trepidation and excitement warring with each other to make his stomach churn. He glanced over at Harry and noticed the other boy watching him with an apologetic look on his expressive face. He fought the urge to give him a smile and instead looked away.

"Harry and Draco, come up and get your topic."

Draco stood up stiffly, walking to the front without glancing at his partner, even as he heard the taller boy fall into step beside him.

"You choose the topic, Draco," Harry murmured.

Draco paused, the use of his first name on Harry's lips making him quiver in delight, before scowling at him and plunging his hand into the bowl and pulling out the first piece of paper that his fingers closed around. He opened it and his mouth dropped open. They couldn't be serious!

"What topic did you get?" Remus asked.

"Vampiric pair bonding," Draco choked out.

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Harry stuffed his belongings into his satchel as fast as he could, intent on catching Draco before the blonde could disappear to his next class. He waved Hermione and Ron away when they paused at the door and made a shooing motion with his hands. Hermione nodded and dragged Ron after her.

"I've got Ancient Runes next," Harry heard Dee say to Draco as they packed their bags.

"We've got Divination," Crabbe said as Goyle nodded beside him.

"Oh, I've got Herbology," Millicent murmured.

"And I have a free!" Blaise said gleefully.

"Hm, Arithmancy for me," Draco replied.

"Well, that means I'll see you all at lunch then," Dee said as she walked to the door.

"I'll walk you," J.P. said as he followed after her. "See you, Harry."

"Bye," Harry replied. He quickly stuffed his quill and parchment into his bag and looked up. He swore under his breath as the object of his affection strode past his aisle and towards the door quickly.

"Wait, Draco! Hey!" Harry slowed down as he saw the other Slytherins stop and glare at him for addressing their leader in such a familiar manner.

"Who gave you permission to use my first name, _Potter_?" Draco snapped.

"Oh, sorry, um..." Harry said awkwardly.

"Go away, Potter," Blaise said.

"Look, I just want to ask him a question," Harry replied impatiently.

Draco gave him an assessing look and gave a slow nod. "All right, you go to class," he said as he waved his Housemates away.

"All right." They moved off reluctantly and left the pair alone after Draco gave them an impatient glare.

Harry stared at Draco intently, causing Draco to shift under the scrutiny.

"What do you want, Potter?"

"Er, well," Harry rubbed at his neck in embarrassment. "I just wanted to ask when we could get together."

"We're not going out on a date, Potter," Draco replied quickly, his eyes darting around as he stepped away from him.

"What? Huh? No!" Not that he was opposed to the idea... "I meant, when would you be free to do some research?"

"You should have been more specific," Draco replied tightly.

"Uh, yeah," Harry said sheepishly. "Anyway, when do you have some free time?"

"I have a free period after lunch today, one just before tomorrow and then another one on Thursday after breakfast. I'm free after dinner on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays," Draco said quickly, looking away from Harry.

"Oh, hm," Harry said as he frowned in thought. "Well, I've got a free tomorrow too and I'm free on Wednesdays and Fridays."

"Yay," Draco drawled, covering up the nervousness he was feeling. The urge to smooth the slight crease between those dark brows was viciously stamped down.

"Um, how about we meet up at the library during the free tomorrow? And then on Wednesday and Friday?"

"That works. Now, I have to get going." Draco turned and would have walked away, but Harry grabbed onto the sleeve of his robe.

"Draco, there was something else I wanted to ask you." Harry coughed to emphasise his point and gathered his courage.

"What, Potter?" Draco asked and turned.

Harry took the opportunity to tug Draco towards him and closed his arms around the slim waist in front of him.

"What are you-"

"Sh," Harry said softly, taking off his glasses as he leant down and pressed his lips against Draco's.

Too surprised to do anything, Draco opened his mouth in shock, Harry taking full advantage to slide his tongue past Draco's lips and deepen the kiss. Draco let out a soft moan and curled his fingers into Harry's robe as his eyes slid shut in pleasure as Harry pulled him even closer.

Harry grinned against Draco's mouth and slid one hand up the blonde's back to press between his shoulder blades. He felt Draco shudder and melt against him as his hand pressed against his shoulder blade and felt a flare of possessiveness heat up inside him. With a soft growl, he tilted Draco's head back more and ravaged his pink lips.

Draco whimpered as Harry asserted his dominance, moving his hands up to curl his arms around the taller boy's neck. Those large hands pressed and kneaded his shoulder blades and he mewled as they stimulated his pleasure points, the place his wings joined his body when they were out. He didn't even realise they were moving until he felt the cold, harsh surface of the wall press against his back and the heat of Harry's body against his front. He flushed as Harry pressed the full length of his body against his and something hard nudged against his stomach. He rocked back absently and heard and felt Harry growl against his lips as he felt Draco's own growing arousal.

"God, Draco," he heard Harry hiss as he moved his head back. His eyes fluttered open, he didn't even remember closing them, and he flushed at the blatant desire that darkened those emerald green eyes.

"You're so beautiful," Harry whispered as he moved one hand to cup Draco's face. His thumb rubbed against Draco's now kiss-swollen lips. "So beautiful."

"I-" Draco murmured, his eyes still hazy with pleasure and face flushed with desire.

The sound of approaching footsteps and conversation interrupted them and Harry swore, moving away from Draco.

"Damn," he stepped away and was pleased to see Draco slump against the wall now that he wasn't holding him up any more. Draco raised a hand to his lips and looked at him in wonder, which was quickly turning to embarrassment as he straightened.

"What was that about?" he asked, his voice coming out in a squeak, his face flushing in embarrassment.

Harry chuckled and pressed a quick kiss to his lips again. "I've been wanting to do that since we were assigned together." He put his glasses back on and winked at Draco.

"Oh," Draco didn't know how to reply to that.

"Well, I'll see you later." Harry grinned widely at the slightly dazed look Draco gave him and walked away whistling to himself.

For once, Draco Malfoy didn't have a witty comeback in reply.

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Well! That's another chapter done! Yay! LOL I hope you guys all enjoyed it. The next chapter won't be coming out any time soon, so please don't attack me or beg for it. I have a whole load of exams and assignments due so I won't be able to start on the next chapter any time soon.

I'd like to thank my lovely beta, **lucidity**, for getting it back to me so quickly. I really appreciate her time and effort.

I would also like to express my gratitude to my reviewers: **PaDfOoT Da GrEaT, thrnbrooke, Netty, Holly Snappers, Remmy Wolf, Kilikapele, Pickle-Kitten, Heart and Soul, Mara202, coriander, Pippinspen and lucidity. **I really appreciate you guys taking the time and effort to make reviews. Thanks a lot!

Until next time, take care, savvy?

CDW.


	16. Just a glimpse is enough

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**Summary:** Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are one of a kind. Maybe. Alternate worlds are meant to stay separate but not everything turns out the way they're supposed to. How much trouble can two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters get into? Especially when someone decides to up the ante and make things a whole lot worse for them all. Slash, het. HP/DM, HP/DM, RW/HG and more.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though).

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it. I don't own Tekuu no Escaflowne either. I wish I owned Van and Folken Fanel though... LOL

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**Flip Side**

**Chapter Fifteen: Just a glimpse is enough.**

Draco tapped his quill against his parchment impatiently. He heard someone enter the library and looked up, both hoping and dreading that it was his partner. The poor First Year Hufflepuff girl squeaked and scurried off under the force of Draco's glare when Draco realised that it wasn't Harry.

Draco didn't like to be kept waiting because it allowed him to think about his life. And where it was headed. Currently, all he could come up with was that he was going to become a Death Eater, be forced to kill people, kiss the boots of some mouldy has-been and then die at the hands of the Light. What a wonderful future...

"Bloody hell, where is that jerk?" Draco muttered to himself. He scowled down at his notes, telling himself that the nervous flutter in his stomach was not because he wanted to see the other boy. He was merely nervous about the assignment. A little voice in his head told him it was because he wanted to get snogged out of his mind again. He promptly told that voice where to go.

Draco sighed and dropped his quill onto the table and propped his chin on his palm. To be honest, Draco wasn't quite sure how to think about Harry anymore.

Harry had always been the one thing in his life that he didn't know how to handle. When he was young, his father had told him that everyone bows to a Malfoy, that people all around them would clamour to get attention from their family and would do anything to get into their good graces. It was with that confidence and assuredness that Draco had held out his hand to Harry. But when Harry had turned him down, so casually, so easily, Draco hadn't known what to do. Should he have burst into tears like he had wanted to? Or should he have apologised to Weasley and tried again? No. Draco did what came naturally; he closed himself off and treated Harry with the cold disdain and resentment that his father had taught him through example. He _had_ to hate Harry Potter. No one, but no one, refused a Malfoy.

But no, Harry just had to turn around and proclaim his love for him. Draco would have been more than happy to just laugh in the other boy's face and gleefully tell him that he wanted the other boy to die a slow, agonizing death, but... It's hard to do that to someone when you love them.

Draco sighed and shifted his chin to his other hand, staring out the window pensively. It had been so much easier when he was pretending to hate Harry, and even easier still when he thought that Harry hated him. But when he heard those words spoken so softly, sincerely, he knew that nothing could ever go back to being the way that it was. It was as though something inside of him had clicked and he finally felt as though everything was right, that everything was the way it should be. But then, as always, reality had set in. And that kiss really didn't make things any better. What the bloody hell was he going to do? Loving Harry Potter would end in nothing but disaster. Harry loved his friends, he would die for them, and he would never abandon them. How could Draco compete with that? After all, as a Slytherin, not to mention a Malfoy, Harry's friends would never truly accept him. Granger was friendlier towards him, but for all he knew, that could just be an act to keep Harry happy. Weasley on the other hand was almost as unpleasant as he always was but Granger always hit him to keep him in line. That wasn't very encouraging. Unless Weasley liked being hit. That thought made Draco shudder and he quickly abandoned that line of thought.

He refused to even think of what his father would do or say.

Another person entered the library and he glared at the poor Gryffindor boy for raising his hopes at the sight of the red and gold tie. "If he's not here in five minutes, I'm leaving," Draco said to himself angrily.

"Draco! I'm so glad you're still here!"

Draco turned, his eyes narrowing as he took in a flushed looking Harry as the brunette stumbled to the table, his book bag slung haphazardly over his shoulder and his glasses slipping off the end of his nose. "And why wouldn't I be? This _is_ the agreed time isn't it?" Draco made a show of pulling out his pocket watch and flicking it open. "Wait, that was half an hour ago," he finished scathingly. He was satisfied to see Harry flinch guiltily under his cold stare.

"I'm really sorry! I was playing chess with Ron and then J.P. wanted to ask-"

Draco interrupted him with a slashing motion of his hand. "Save it, Potter. I don't really care why you're late. All I know is that you are. Kindly leave your incessant babbling to someone who cares."

Harry frowned slightly, sensing the blonde's agitation and quickly set his parchment and stationery onto the table, sitting down hurriedly as Draco continued to glare at him. "I really am sorry," he offered.

"Whatever," Draco dismissed his apology; though he was rather appreciative that Harry had offered it anyway. "Just let me see your notes."

"Oh, here," Harry hastily handed him a wad of notes, the ink slightly smudged and the parchment crumpled.

Draco gave Harry an incredulous look at how badly the notes were treated, but decided not to comment. He skimmed over them, impressed at the detail and information that Harry had provided. "Hm, these are actually quite good, Potter. I must say, I hadn't expected something of this quality," he murmured absently. He flipped to another piece of parchment and gave Harry a glance over the edge. He paused when he saw the pleased look on Harry's face. "What are you grinning about?"

"You think my notes are good?" Harry was beaming.

It would be so easy to say no, to be nasty to him. In fact, the comment was already forming in Draco's mind when his mouth decided otherwise. "It's passable," he grudgingly admitted, looking surprised a moment later.

"Thanks," Harry replied. He blinked and then held up a hand. "Oh, I've got something for you!"

"What?" Draco asked, curious despite himself. He suddenly found a box of being shoved into his hands. "What is this?"

Harry looked around nervously before giving him a smile. "I thought you might like some. They're really nice."

Draco looked down at the box and blinked at the familiar stylised writing that marked his favourite brand of chocolate. "Where did you get this from?"

"Oh, here and there. Go on, have some. I'm sure Pince won't mind," Harry urged when Draco made no move to throw them back in his face.

Draco gave him a bemused glance before opening the box slowly. "You haven't poisoned them or anything, have you?"

Harry looked slightly hurt by the comment, but quickly regained his smile when Draco continued to pull the little tray of chocolates out. Draco absently popped the chocolate into his mouth. He swallowed it quickly, licking his lips for any smudges of chocolate that were wont to stay on his lips.

Harry grinned widely at the look of appreciation that slid over Draco's face. "Of course not! That would defeat the purpose of courting you!"

Draco froze, his hand halfway between his mouth and the tray. He blinked once. Twice. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, er, yeah. Um, I've decided to court you," Harry said as he rubbed his head, his face almost split in half by the wide grin that curved his lips.

"You've got to be joking!" Draco said. He put his hand down and looked at Harry as though he'd grown three heads and proclaimed that he was the king of all squirrels and that the world was now made of Swiss cheese.

"No, really! I think you'd appreciate being courted," Harry replied in a reasonable tone. "It's also something I'd like to do to show you just how much I care."

Draco opened and closed his mouth a few times before thinking up of something, anything, to say. "You're crazy."

"Crazy for you," Harry replied, his weak joke making Draco's lips twitch.

"That was very lame, Potter."

"You know, you could call me Harry."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because we're courting and all."

"Who said I wanted to be courted by you?"

"Well, you were quite receptive to me a few days ago," Harry said with a confident grin.

Draco sputtered and looked around furtively in case anyone had overheard Harry's comment. He needn't have bothered; there was only them and Pince in the library and she was on the other side of the large room. "Do you mind? Someone could have heard that!"

"Draco, you're too paranoid."

"No, I'm a Slytherin. I'm cautious." Draco slumped in his seat and popped another piece of chocolate into his mouth, glaring at Harry balefully. "Why did you have to bring that up?"

"Draco, you can't keep denying me. Denying this," Harry waved a hand between them.

"Yes I can. I've been doing it for a while now," Draco muttered under his breath. Louder, he replied, "It's a bit hard to think straight when someone's cut off your air supply."

"You seemed to have enough air to moan like you wanted more," Harry shot back.

Draco turned an alarming shade of red, unable to control the wave of embarrassment that went through him. "Shut up!"

"How can you keep denying this?" Harry asked, raising his voice slightly. He stared at Draco intently, his piercing green eyes pinning Draco to the spot. "Is it so hard for you to believe that I could really care about you? Love you?"

"You don't love me, Potter. I do believe we've already had this discussion. Now, I think it's time for me to leave." Draco rose quickly, stuffing his notes haphazardly into his bag as he stepped away from the desk.

"Oh no, I'm not letting you run away again!" Harry snapped as he caught Draco's wrist firmly and dragged him behind one of the towering shelves. He pressed Draco back against the shelf by his shoulders and looked down at him. "You keep running away from me!"

"Because I don't think we should be doing this!" Draco hissed back, his eyes flashing.

"That's all you ever say! Why shouldn't we do this?"

Draco stared up at him as though he thought Harry was an idiot. His incredulity quickly turned to anger, however, and he shoved Harry away from him, glaring up at him through his bangs. "What makes you think we should? We don't exactly move in the same circles, what with me being a Death Eater In training," he snapped. He sneered at the stricken look on Harry's face. "Don't think I don't hear what you Gryffindors hiss at me behind my back. I hear what they call me, what they think I am. Do you honestly think that they'd accept this? Us? You're more deluded that I thought if you do."

Harry found the one thing that he thought was the most pressing issue and stuck to it. "Draco, you're not really going to Voldemort, are you?"

Draco refused to flinch at the name, but his eyes darkened despite himself. "What's it to you? I don't have to answer to you." He made as thought to step away, but Harry pushed him against the shelf again.

"Answer me, damn it!" Harry said urgently, his eyes searching.

Draco shoved him again, but Harry stood firm, refusing to move. "I don't have to answer you!"

"Draco, please, tell me you're not going to join him!" Harry asked urgently, his eyes begging him.

Draco looked away from him, unable to meet his eyes. "What does it matter what I do? Either way, I don't see much of a future for myself," he said quietly, almost miserably.

"Oh, Draco, don't say that," Harry whispered. He pulled Draco close, pressing the blonde's face into his chest. He ignored Draco's stiff posture and continued to hug him. "Draco, you have a future, don't give up on it." He pressed his lips against Draco's hair as he felt the other boy shiver against him. "I'll protect you."

That statement gave Draco the strength to jerk away. He turned his back to Harry and bowed his head. "You might like to think so Harry, but really, you're the one who that has the power to hurt me the most."

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Harry stared across the Great Hall longingly. Draco refused to look at him, despite Harry knowing that Draco knew he was being looked at. After those softly spoken words in the library, Harry hadn't known what to say and Draco had just walked out. Now that he looked back on it, there was probably something he could have said, _should_ have said.

It wasn't like Harry was being too obvious about it. He didn't go around screaming about it to the world, even though he wanted to. He was quiet about it, trying to be subtle, but Draco still seemed to push him away. He wasn't sure what to do. He had asked Dee before but she all she said was to be subtle and telling him that Draco would appreciate his advances so much more if they came from his heart rather than from the suggestions of others. That didn't really help much when he wasn't even sure how to go about courting someone normally. He seriously doubted that it was all just candy giving and flowers.

He had asked Hermione but she had shrugged helplessly and said she didn't know how to help him. Ron was very little help, going off to sulk whenever Harry mentioned his intentions towards Draco. J.P. tried to help, but Harry really didn't think that coercing Draco to tutor him and then taking advantage of their close proximity was very helpful at such an early stage in their relationship, if it was even a relationship.

He poked at his roast beef and sighed heavily.

"Mate, you sound just like a girl when you do that," Ron muttered from Harry's right, around a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

Hermione gave an indignant huff and turned to talk with Ginny when she heard Ron's comment.

"Well, he does," Ron replied defensively. He took a sip of pumpkin juice before turning back to Harry. "Face it mate, you're acting like a love sick Hufflepuff."

"He'll be writing poetry soon, just you wait," J.P. snickered from Harry's left.

"You two are not helping," Harry replied balefully, glaring at the two of them.

"Well, come on. You're all mopey and sit there staring at him," Ron pointed out. "It's kinda pathetic, actually."

"Says the boy who's girlfriend is currently ignoring him," Harry shot back.

Ron gave Hermione a glance and wilted slightly. "Hm, point taken."

"You two are pathetic," j.P. snickered.

"Aw, shut up. Just because you and your girlfriend are on good terms."

"Hey, I just don't fight with her over little things. It's a lot easier that way." J.P. and Ron proceeded to bicker about the practicality of his statement, but Harry tuned them out easily enough.

Harry sighed again and turned back to Draco, watched him as he chatted with Dee. A bolt of envy sizzled through him as he noticed the easy manner in which they interacted; how easily Draco bent his head to her and smiled.

Harry seriously didn't know how to take Draco's words. What did he mean that Harry was the one who could hurt him the most? Did he honestly think that Harry would hurt him? But the finality in Draco's voice had been so very telling. He honestly believed, from the bottom of his heart, that Harry would eventually hurt him, hurt him in a way that he'd never be able to recover from.

"I'd never hurt him," Harry murmured. "Why can't he see that?"

"I don't think he knows how to cope with the thought of someone actually loving him," J.P. said, nodding towards the Slytherin table. "Think about it, do you think that anyone's ever shown him love or affection? He's scared because he thinks that you're going to use your power over him to hurt him."

"Wow, that was deep," Ron said.

"Hey, I'm not as dumb as I look, you know. Wait, that didn't sound right..."

Harry chuckled and J.P. and Ron grinned: Mission accomplished.

"Now that you're not quite moping, don't you think it is time you decided to move forward?" J.P. asked. "After all, you said you were going to court him, didn't you?"

"Well, he didn't seem to take to the idea, I don't think," Harry replied, becoming despondent again.

"But he didn't say you couldn't, did he?" J.P. pointed out. "He's a stubborn little thing. Just keep on trying and he'll come around eventually. Just don't be too obvious about it. Lure him with your subtle seduction."

Harry nodded, spirits lifted slightly. "Is that how you won Dee over?"

J.P. choked on his food and Harry slapped him on the back. "Ah-heh. Ah, not quite," J.P. replied with a bit of a cough. "I sort of... Um, ah, actually, she sort of seduced me."

"_She_ seduced _you_?" Harry asked incredulously. "Why in the world would she do that?"

"She got impatient with me tiptoeing around my feelings for her and decided to take matters into her own hands."

"What did she do?" Harry was curious now.

"Er, well," J.P. pulled at his collar as though the memory alone was sufficient to fluster him. "It started with little things. Like, the top buttons of her shirt would be undone, not enough to look like a tart, but enough to flash a glimpse of that deliciously milky skin, or her skirt would hike up to show off those gorgeous thighs of hers... Sometimes, she would stand close enough for me to smell her hair or her skin. And those eyes!" J.P. sent Dee a look dark with desire and she looked up, her lips curving slowly as though she knew exactly what he was thinking. "Those eyes of hers can turn into the most captivating shade of silver in a heart beat and, by Merlin, it was all I could do not to jump her whenever our eyes met."

"So why didn't you?" Ron asked, only to be smacked upside the head by an equally intrigued Hermione.

"Because I didn't want to scare her! I mean, what if she hadn't liked me too? I couldn't ruin our friendship over that." He sighed. "It went on for months before she kinda got annoyed with me."

"What happened then?"

"She cast a body-binding spell on me and told me in no uncertain terms how stupid she thought I was _not_ to get her subtle hints and that she loved me and if I didn't tell her how I felt, whether it be the same or otherwise, she'd hex me into oblivion." J.P. let out a chuckle in remembrance. "Obviously, I blurted out how I felt as soon as she freed me and proceeded to show her just how much."

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Hermione said with a bright smile.

"Well, it would have been, but her father walked in just when things were getting a little more interesting. Merlin, I thought for sure he was going to kill me right then and there!"

They all laughed at J.P.'s mortified expression as he recounted how Lucius had screamed like a woman and then tried and blast him with an Ultimate, all the while with J.P. scrambling for cover almost naked and Dee desperately trying to calm her father down while attempting to hide her unclothed state.

Harry looked over at Draco and was surprised to meet familiar silver eyes. Draco quickly looked away, but not before Harry had seen something that gave him hope. He had seen a longing that mirrored his own.

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Long, thin fingers caressed the long stem of the wine glass, catching the beads of moisture that gathered on the cold surface.

"What else does our spy have to say about the Malfoy girl and the Potter brat, Bulstrode?"

The robed figure in front of him shivered at the slowly murmured words. Despite their lack of volume, they managed to reverberate in his ears until they seemed to roar in his mind.

"Dee Malfoy remains at Draco Malfoy's side whenever she is not in a different class or with her Gryffindor lover."

The sharp hiss that came from his master made the Death Eater stop talking instantly. He flinched at the sound of the goblet slamming into the wall to his left.

"Never say that again! She belongs to me! She was mine the moment I marked her," Voldemort snarled as he rose to his feet. The torches in the room wavered, almost going out before bursting back to life. Voldemort's eyes shone like blood from the shadows that obscured his face.

"I'm sorry, my lord. Please forgive me!" Bulstrode begged, shaking like a leaf as magic permeated the air. He could almost taste his master's rage and prayed to the powers that be for his life.

Voldemort grunted and glared at him. "Continue. I would know all."

Bulstrode nodded quickly. "She is kept under the careful watch of the professors and the Headmaster. It is being said that she will not be allowed to attend the Hogsmeade weekends and will remain at the school with the other Potter boy and the lower years."

"So she is being kept at the school," Voldemort said to himself. He started to pace as he thought about what he could do to get his dragon, both of them, out from under the protection of the Light. "What do we know about the state of the wards around the school?"

"I'm afraid they have not wavered, nor do they show any sign of it. Snape says that the wards were recalibrated the night after their arrival."

Voldemort's lips twisted with annoyance. If the wards had been recalibrated, that meant they would have to start figuring out how to dismantle them all over again. "What else has Snape to say?"

"He gave us no other information. He says that the Order has become tight lipped and will not divulge their secrets unless that person was directly involved in the plan. He says he was only involved in researching what caused Dee Malfoy and the other Potter boy to appear."

"He need not bother. I know how they came to be here," Voldemort sneered.

"You-you do?"

"Yes, but it is nothing you need to know. Get out of my sight."

"Yes, my lord," Bulstrode said as he kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes before leaving as quickly as possible.

Voldemort gave his retreating back a sneer before settling himself in his chair, conjuring another goblet to pour wine into.

-_Master_.-

-_Nagini_-, Voldemort acknowledged his familiar's presence as she slid across the floor to him.

-_You desire the dragon female and male­_-, Nagini hissed softly as she curled herself around his ankles.

-_We desire them_-, Voldemort replied, his voice taking on the strange, eerie echo of two voices speaking at the same time. One was his and scratchy, the other smooth and seductive.

Nagini shied slightly, intimidated by smoother voice that she was ever by the more familiar one. She knew that where there was one, there were now two. Due to her bond with Voldemort, Nagini knew exactly when the second spirit joined with her master's but she also knew that they were the same person. She didn't understand how that could be, but she felt the difference between them. The seductive one was more intent on making the world bow to him while her master was more concerned with obliterating those he considered filth. Perhaps both goals led to the same thing, but there was still a difference.

-_Do you intend to bring them here?_-

-_They belong to us.­_-

-_What will you do with them?_- Nagini asked curiously as Voldemort dropped his hand to caress the top of her head.

-_They will stay by my side_.-

-_Do you love them?_- Nagini asked hesitantly.

Voldemort didn't reply but the prolonged silence was disconcerting and Nagini shifted under his hands.

-_Love is a weakness. It is not something that we would ever be foolish enough to feel_.- Voldemort finally sneered. –_But we desire them. We always get what we want. In the end, we always get what we want._-

-_But why them?_- Nagini asked boldly, curiously.

Voldemort stared blankly into nothingness, not having an answer to give her.

Nagini realised that he never answered her question and wondered just how everything was going to turn out in the end. She hoped for her master's sake that it wouldn't become a fight for the love of the dragons. Voldemort stood no chance.

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Phew! I'm glad that's done! It's kinda moving a long a bit now, isn't it? Kinda... LOL ;;

I'm so sorry I didn't update last month! I had exams and study periods all of June, not to mention it was my birthday on the first of June! LOL Yay! 20... LOL ;; But I really am sorry. I had this chapter started but I couldn't find the time to sit down and actually write anything. But! I'm on vacation for a bit so I'll start working on the next one really soon!

A great big thanks to my wonderful beta **lucidity**! She got t he chapter back to me very quickly and, as always, her feedback and comments were very helpful in making this chapter presentable!

Thanks a lot to all my beloved reviewers! I appreciate your feedback and compliments, as always. Thank you to: **miss sheree**, tomboy101, **BellaLouise **(Ah, yes, I've actually encountered problems with that fic before. Thanks for the tip off.), Netty, **tarzoniangirl**, Andartha, **Mosrael**, Holy Snappers, **Pippinspen**, Heart and Soul, **Dracos and Harrys lover**, jenny, **veela princess**, mickeylover303, **Grey Malwell**, Mara202, **cherry-lover**, Bittersweet Lover, **Purple Raveness**, stargirl, **Pickle-Kitten**, lucidity, **PaDfOoT Da GrEaT**, Echelon, **MalfoysQueen**.

I think that's the most reviews I've ever gotten for any of the chapters! Yay! LOL


	17. Friendly advice, romantic meddling and

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**Summary:** Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are one of a kind. Maybe. Alternate worlds are meant to stay separate but not everything turns out the way they're supposed to. How much trouble can two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters get into? Especially when someone decides to up the ante and make things a whole lot worse for them all. Slash, het. HP/DM, HP/DM, RW/HG and more.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though). This fic is not HBP compliant.

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it. I don't own Tekuu no Escaflowne either. I wish I owned Van and Folken Fanel though... LOL

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**Flip Side**

Chapter Sixteen: Friendly advice, romantic meddling and something else. 

Harry circled the pitch lazily, absently. It was a rather cool morning; the creeping fingers of winter had already begun to chill the air as autumn drew to a close. He brought his hands up to his face and breathed on his fingers in an effort to warm them.

"It would probably be easier if you were sitting in front of a nice, warm fire," J.P. muttered as he tucked his hands under his arms and glared balefully at Harry.

Harry shrugged and looked at him from under his bangs. "You could have stayed in the Common Room, you know."

J.P. made a face. "No thank you. Watching Mione and Ron suck each other's faces off is enough for me."

"You're just jealous you're not getting any," Harry snickered.

"A fat lot more than you," J.P. snapped back.

Harry scowled. "Shut up."

"Aw, come on, you know I didn't mean it like that," J.P. said in apology.

Harry huffed. "It's not like I haven't tried, you know."

"Draco's just stubborn," J.P. said soothingly. "He's just a bit... er, shy."

"I wouldn't call how he's acting 'shy, J.P.," Harry replied dryly. "He's bloody well scared of me."

"He's just a bit skittish."

"He's not a horse."

"Well, he is kinda. I mean; he's a beautiful purebred, right? He's obviously been handled badly by his previous masters," Harry hissed between his teeth at the anger that the last word elicited and glared at J.P. who just shrugged and continued on, "and he's never learnt to trust. It'll only be natural for him to be afraid and wary of anything new. Especially kindness. Abused creatures always react suspiciously towards any signs of kindness or love."

In a sort of grotesque way, it did make sense. "How-how do you think I should handle him, then?"

"There aren't that many things you can do in this sort of situation, Harry, I'm sorry to say."

"Do you think I'm going about this wrong? I don't think he was too thrilled with my attempts so far."

"Like I said before, Harry, it takes patience and perseverance. If you give up now, Draco will think that you didn't really care, that you found he was too much trouble." J.P. rubbed his hands together to keep them warm. "He's probably already thinking it, right now, at this very moment."

Harry gave him a puzzled glance. "Thinking what?"

"That you don't care about him."

"But that's stupid! I've already told him I loved him!"

"Yeah, but come on, you were half out of it at the time."

Harry grudgingly nodded. "But I meant it all the same."

"See, I've always noticed that Malfoys are funny that way. If you don't tell them something, looking them right in the eye, they won't believe you, at least, for things like this. You kind of mumbled it to the top of his head."

"You know, you could be a little more helpful," Harry groused.

"Ah, but you don't want me to just smile and pat you on the head and say it'll be all right. That's Mione's, job. Or would you rather I start ranting like Ron does when you mention Draco's name in front of him? Cuz I can't. If Dee ever heard about it, I'd be sleeping on the couch. And she'd take away touching privileges!" J.P. seemed horrified by the last part and shuddered before going back to the subject at hand. "As your brother/friend/whatever I happen to be, I'm meant to point out what you're doing wrong and say you're a fool."

Gaping at him, Harry tried to sputter out an answer but after a few moments of J.P.'s snickering, settled for a glare. "That's not very nice."

"Oh, come on. Do you really want me to hold your hand and say everything will be okay as long as you believe that love conquers all?"

"Well, no," Harry replied reluctantly. As warm and sympathetic Hermione was, she wasn't really doing much good. It was all well and good to tell him that things would get better, but she didn't really help him try and figure out a way to help the situation. Ron wasn't much of help either; he wasn't exactly the most experienced person, considering it was Hermione who had to ask him out the first time. That and he tended to rant about evil ferrets.

"Well, there you go. I'm keeping it real," J.P. said with a sagely nod.

"Well, oh helpful one, what do you suggest I do? And don't tell me to keep pushing, because that's not as useful as you think it is."

"Er..." J.P. looked towards the sky. "Maybe he'd like more chocolate. He didn't seem that adverse to eating the ones you got him before, right?"

"That was before I told him I wanted to court him."

"Oh. Well, what happened after that?"

"I already told you what happened," Harry said with a frown.

"No, not that, to the chocolate!"

"What about the chocolate?" Harry didn't know where this was going.

"Did he take it or leave it?"

"Er..." Harry frowned in concentration as he tried to remember. "Well, I don't remember taking it back with me to the Tower." He blinked. "Oh! He did take it with him! I remember him shoving it into his bag with all his other stuff."

"That's a good sign," J.P. said beaming.

"Why?"

"Cuz he'll be eating it soon enough! If he's anything like Dee, he'll be a comfort food eater! Or he'll find some unfortunate person to verbally abuse until he feels better. Or blow something up." The last two parts was said more quietly than the rest, but Harry had already focused on the previous fact.

"So you think he'll be eating my chocolates and he'll remember me?" Harry brightened at the prospect.

"Well, either that, or he'll just be eating anything he can get his hands on." J.P. shrugged. "But to be honest, he'll probably look at them for hours, contemplating if he should eat them or not and then rejecting the idea because _you_ gave them to him, but then thinking that it would be apt to eat them because _you're_ the one he's thinking about and then he'll just sit there and think it over and over and over."

"I don't know whether that's flattering or not," Harry muttered. "It's not very encouraging."

"I'd agree; if it was anyone other than a Malfoy," J.P. replied. "See, A Malfoy obsesses over something he or she really cares about. And Dee says that he refuses to discuss you."

"Isn't that a bad thing?"

"Not really. It just means that he's still in denial. Trust me, it'll go really quick and you're going to have your hands full keeping him happy."

"But what am I supposed to do until he gets over his denial?"

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Draco contented himself with glaring at the flames that danced cheerfully in his fireplace. His notes for his assignment about vampiric bonding sat in front of him but he hadn't looked at them in hours. No, he was quite happy glaring at the happily flickering flames.

"You know Draco, those logs aren't going to get any deader," Dee said dryly from where she sat next to him.

Draco scowled at her before looking down at his notes blindly. "I was merely taking a break from reading."

"Hm," Dee replied in a tone that told him just how much she didn't believe him.

Draco gave her a half-hearted glare and picked up his notes and started to leaf through them.

"You know, you haven't met up with Potter for your group project since last week," Dee commented casually. "You only have another two weeks to get it done."

Draco ignored her words, pretending to be too intent in his notes to notice. "I wonder which of these runes I should use," he murmured in an attempt to take her mind off more personal matters.

"Ask Harry," Dee replied, watching him carefully out of the corner of her eye.

Again, Draco ignored her and laid out a few pages on the table. He pointed to them and tilted his head towards her. "Which one of these do you think would look better?"

The look Dee gave him made the boy squirm uncomfortably. "You know, you're not as subtle as you'd like to think," she deadpanned.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Draco replied firmly.

"That's a pathetic excuse and you know it," Dee said as her lips twitching down into a frown.

"Look, whatever you're implying-"

"You're being deliberately obtuse, and you know I don't like that."

Draco glared at her. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been ignoring that stubborn boy for the past three days. You cannot tell me there's nothing wrong," Dee said as she poked his side.

Draco batted her hand aside and glared at her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, that's why you've been moping like some kind of love-sick girl," Dee said with a slight wrinkling of her nose.

"I have not!" Draco replied in outrage.

Dee gave him an even look. "I know you love him Draco, you've told me you do. Why do you have to keep acting like this?" she asked softly. She reached out and touched his chin, turning his face to hers. Her fingers tightened when he tried to jerk his head away. "Would you just listen, for once in your stubborn life?"

"I don't have to take this. Get out," Draco snapped as he pushed her away from him and stood up. When Dee remained sitting, looking at him with those large, doe eyes, he looked away and pointed at the portrait. "Go on, get out."

Dee bristled at the tone he used. "I am not a dog to be ordered about, Draco Lucius Malfoy! And look at me when you're talking to me!"

Draco winced at the displeasure in her tone but refused to look at her. "I think you've overstayed your welcome."

"Oh no, I'm not even done yet. You want to be stubborn? So be it!"

A faint rustle of fabric was all Draco heard before he felt himself being hauled backwards by the collar of his robes. He let out a yelp and found himself sprawling on his couch, staring up at a decidedly unhappy female. Draco opened his mouth but Dee waved her hand and murmured something under her breath. It wasn't like any other body-binding spell he'd ever encountered; his body hadn't gotten stiff and he didn't feel like he'd been tied down in any way and his muscles felt as relaxed as they normally did. He just couldn't move from his position.

"You've had your chance at talking," Dee snapped, putting her hands on her hips and frowning down at him. "It's my turn to talk now."

She sat down next to him and poked his knee. "You are in denial. It's a very interesting state to be in. Well, it's interesting to watch. But, I've gotten sick and tired of you moping around and I'm pretty sure that you're getting rather sick of it yourself."

Draco glared at her. "Who do you think you are? You can't tell me what to do!"

Dee's eyes narrowed. "Draco, watching someone you love hurt themselves is not pleasant. I refuse to stand by and allow you to ruin your chance at happiness!"

Draco eyed her warily. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't give me that look. I'm being serious here," Dee huffed. "You and Harry; there's a bond there. It's strong and bright." She moved closer to him. "I know you can feel it. Whenever he's close, you feel as though everything's right, don't you? And when he's not near, it's as if something's tugging inside of you." Her left hand came to rest over his heart.

Draco cringed at the truth behind her words. He turned his eyes away from hers. "It's none of your business."

"There are people in this world who care about you, Draco, no matter how stubborn and thick-headed you can be," she said as she tapped his chest. "And I know that this is just tearing you apart inside."

"What am I supposed to do?" Draco spat, anger building up inside him. He didn't even bother trying to deny his feelings anymore; he knew that she was fully aware of how he felt about Harry. "Just throw myself at him? What would be the point of that? He'll lose interest soon enough and I'll be left worse off than before!"

Dee watched him quietly, sitting back against his legs and squeezing his knee lightly. "The last thing he wants to do is hurt you, Draco."

"How would you know?" Draco snapped, desperate to hide from her knowing eyes. "You've got no right to talk about it like you know what I'm feeling! Your Potter's always loved you! You've never had to fight with him!"

"True, J.P. and I have always had a good relationship, romantic or otherwise," Dee agreed, "but that doesn't mean we didn't have our ups and downs too."

"I'd hardly call our situation 'up and downs'," Draco replied dryly.

Dee smiled slightly at his tone. "That's true. But you're not making any of this easier, you know. If you just gave him a chance, I'm sure you'll find yourself in an incredibly satisfactory position."

Draco's lips twitched at the suggestive tone that Dee's voice had taken and the image of a certain green-eyed boy looking hungrily down at him made his whole body heat up. He flushed handsomely and growled when Dee gave him a knowing look. "I don't need you giving me advice."

"Draco, do you honestly think that Harry's going to just leave you?"

"Yes!"

"Why do you think that? Do you really think he's that kind of person?"

Draco closed his eyes. "His friends mean everything to him. They don't like me. He-he'd never choose me over them."

"Oh, Draco," Dee murmured.

She waved her hand and Draco knew she'd lifted the body-binding spell. He curled onto his side, facing away from the fire and pressed his face against the soft couch. He felt her hands slip into his hair and he welcomed the comfort she offered. "You've seen him, haven't you? He loves his friends, he'd do anything for them."

"But he loves you too."

"But he's loved them longer!" Draco broke out. He glared at her. "They've been there for him for years! This-this infatuation he has with me... I doubt it's been around for anywhere near that."

"Draco, it's not a matter of how long he's loved you," she replied gently. "Something like that wouldn't matter to him."

"How would you know? You don't know him!"

"I might not have known him as long as you, but-"

Draco sneered. "Don't tell me you're comparing him to your J.P."

"Harry and J.P. are far more alike than you think," Dee replied, ignoring Draco's hostility. "They're not the same, that's true, but they are very similar in many respects."

"What makes you think that they're similar in this one?"

"Because whenever he looks at you, there's the same love that I see when J.P. looks at me."

Draco looked away. "How can you tell that?"

"Because all he seems to see if you," Dee whispered. "It's like everything around him doesn't matter as long as you're there with him." Her eyes softened. "He just looks at you with those dark green eyes and you feel like nothing else in the world matters."

Draco shivered; he knew exactly what she meant. Sometimes, he'd meet Harry's eyes and he'd see something in them that would take his breath away and make him feel as though he could do anything. "His eyes look like emerald velvet; soft and inviting."

"And he gets this soft smile on his face," Dee added, lost in her thoughts of her own lover. "The one where just the corners of his lips curve up and his face relaxes, his whole body relaxes." She shivered and let out a sigh. "It's the smile he gives me just before he tells me he loves me."

He looked at her as everything started to click into place. He remembered the way that Harry's eyes looked just before he kissed him, the way his face softened when he smiled, the way his voice dipped and became husky when he said he loved him... "Oh Merlin," Draco moaned and buried his face in his hands. "I'm doomed, aren't I?"

Dee squeezed his knee again. "Oh yes, very much so, I'm afraid."

"You're not helping," Draco muttered.

"Don't be silly, of course I am," Dee replied, deliberately ignoring his tone. "I'm giving you advice."

"I don't want your advice," Draco replied sulkily.

"Well, you're going to get it," Dee replied with a smile. "I normally wouldn't interfere in a relationship," she ignored Draco's cough and continued, "but I feel that you need a firm push. You're not going to get out of this on your own, nor are you going to make your situation any better."

"And how, pray tell, are you going to help me?" Draco snapped. He came to the realisation that Dee wasn't going to let this drop and had resigned himself to his fate.

"Obviously, we're going to come up with a plan to seduce Potter," Dee stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Draco sputtered. "What? Why?"

"Because, like you said, you can't very well throw yourself at him, can you? Come on, sit up."

Draco sat up and drew his legs up under him as Dee did the same. "What exactly is going on in that pretty head of yours?"

"It's simple really," Dee said with a mischievous smile on her face. "We're going to seduce your handsome Gryffindor. And I know just what to do."

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He shivered, burying his face against his knees as he desperately tried to stave off the cold and the soft murmurs of those he knew were long dead. The constant sensation of cold fingers running over his skin made him cringe and he pulled his legs closer to himself.

He heard the soft hiss, the unmistakeable rustle of Dementors as they prowled the dark, haunted halls of Azkaban. He shuddered as one paused by his cell. He could swear it was mocking him, the way it stood silently for several long moments. He gathered the dregs of his pride and raised his head and glared. His silver eyes flashed in the almost invisible fingers of moonlight that seeped through the cracks in the walls.

He had had a lot of time to think about his life during his imprisonment, and for the first time in his life, he couldn't find satisfaction from what he'd accomplished. It all seemed so hollow to him. He'd never realised how empty his life really was. Everything seemed so frivolous, so petty and worthless to him now. After he had joined Voldemort, his life had become so focused, so single-minded, that he had forgotten what he used to enjoy. His thoughts had gone in a distinctive downward spiral and he had been left with nothing but painful regrets and disenchantment.

He curled his fingers around the small scrap of paper he held in his hand. It only held two words, but those two words had kept him from screaming and throwing away his pride like so many of the others.

_Be safe_.

Just two words were enough for him to stay reasonably in control. He didn't have to read the note to see the neat, and slanted cursive that was similar to his own, but with it's own confident loops and lines. Draco had written the same words ever since he had been imprisoned. He had wanted to write how much he appreciated his son's words, but all he could force onto the paper was a cold, detached command and veiled threat. What a lovely father he was. Lucious snorted and tightened his fist around the piece of paper as though it could make everything better.

_Thud_.

Lucius raised his head, eyes alert. What was that sound? A body hitting the ground? He tilted his head to the side and concentrated, not daring to breath.

_Thud_.

There it was again! He had definitely heard something this time. He uncurled his body, ignoring the twinges of pain that ran up and down his body in protest, stuffing the letter into the pocket of his pants. He grimaced in pain as he dragged himself towards the door of his cell, wrapping his hands around the cold bars. He heard several louder thuds in succession and peered into the darkness beyond his cell.

By now, other prisoners had noticed that something was wrong and many of them had begun to wail at the disturbance. Lucius sneered as many prisoners begged for freedom whilst others snarled for vengeance against their imprisonment. He found it rather pathetic; though a part of him wanted to join in; to beg for freedom or scream for vengeance he wasn't sure.

"What's going on?" he demanded, even though he knew he wouldn't get an answer. Well, not a coherent one anyway.

He flinched and shrank back instinctively when a Dementor glided by his cell. He hesitated for a moment before grasping at the bars and peering down the hallway with a frown. The Dementor was going towards the sounds of the disturbances.

"Open them. All of them." Lucius froze at the sound of that familiar voice.

The sound of metal grating against metal made Lucius clap his hands over his ears and back away from the door of his cell. Just in time too, as the metal bars swung open violently, just missing his face.

"Come out, Lucius."

He hesitated for a moment before stepping carefully over the threshold, breathing in sharply as he did so. Merlin! He was _free_! He immediately threw himself down at his master's feet. "Thank you, my Lord!"

"I see you're still in control of your wits," Voldemort drawled as he watched the silver head at his feet.

"It has been very trying," Lucius admitted hoarsely.

"You were very sloppy, Lucius," Voldemort hissed. "You allowed yourself to be captured. Now I have no spy within the upper circles of the Ministry."

Lucius cringed. "Please forgive me, Master."

"I don't think I can. Not yet, at least." There was a pause and Lucius foolishly held his breath. "_Vehemens tergum crucio_(1)." Only to scream in agony as he felt as though his skin was being peeled back from the muscle underneath. He barely registered his head smacking into the cold stone; it was nothing compared to the sensation of being skinned alive and then having salt rubbed into the bloody mess left behind. His wrists smacked down hard as he flailed helplessly and he vaguely registered the cracking of bone hitting the unyielding surface of the floor beneath him. He didn't even feel the bite of his nails raking through his skin as he clawed desperately at his face.

"I am very disappointed with you," Voldemort murmured as he watched Lucius writhing and screaming helplessly. He made a small gesture and Lucius slumped onto the floor sobbing painfully, his face covered with bleeding gashes where he'd ripped at his own skin. "What can you do for me now? You have nothing left to offer me. You can no longer supply me with information about the Ministry's doings..." he trailed off dispassionately as he watched Lucius roll onto his knees, sobbing in pain the whole time. He was surprised the other man could still move, but showed nothing but disdain on his face.

"My Lord, all I can offer you is my services and loyalty. It is all I have left to give," Lucius replied hoarsely, his voice barely above a whisper. He swallowed harshly, loudly, in the following silence.

Voldemort looked down at his servant, narrowed eyes calculating. "Your life is not all you can give me, Lucius," Voldemort purred with a slow smile. "You have something that I greatly desire."

Lucius shivered at the silky tone in Voldemort's voice and he turned heavily reddened eyes up. There was something incredibly sinister in those narrowed orbs and he had a feeling that it did not bode well for the future. His or anyone else's. "What do you want?"

"Your son."

Lucius froze, his breath leaving him in a painful gush. "My-my son?"

Voldemort's eyes flashed warningly and he hissed. "Yes, your son."

"He will serve you, my Lord, as faithfully as I have," Lucius replied shakily, dropping his eyes quickly.

Voldemort made a satisfied sound and turned away. "He will serve me, that he will."

Lucius didn't understand the meaning behind Voldemort's words, but an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach and he glanced up to watch his master stalk away. He struggled to his knees and panted heavily. Merlin, it felt like his skin was on fire and his bones were broken. When he slipped and smacked his face back onto the floor, he amended his lat thought. His bones _were_ broken, his left wrist anyway.

He yelped when a strong hand gripped his elbow and helped him sit up again. He looked up warily but relaxed when ebony eyes met his. "Sev."

"Luc, get up. The others are leaving and I have no desire to haul you out of here when the Aurors come."

The familiar harsh tone was welcome, and Lucius nodded and allowed Severus to haul him to his feet, wincing as he stood on his own two feet. "Thank you," he murmured quietly. He smiled when Severus snorted near his ear.

"Get a hold of yourself and help me drag you out of here." Severus grunted under the taller man's weight. Lucius had lost a lot of weight, but he was still considerably bulkier than himself and it was hard trying to move him when the blonde wasn't cooperating. Not that he blamed him; a few rounds of the Cruciatus curse were never something to scoff at.

"Merlin, it feels like I've been flayed," Lucius moaned. "_Crucio_ never hurt that much before."

"That wasn't the Cruciatus curse," Severus muttered. "It was something else."

"Like what? I wasn't aware there were any variations to the curse," Lucius asked, puzzled. He knew a considerable amount about the Dark Arts, and even more so about how to modify them to suit a particular need.

"There aren't," Severus replied seriously. He tucked the thought away and concentrated on half dragging, half leading his friend back towards the gate. He knew Lucius couldn't Apparat_e_ without his wand, and he didn't want to try and risk Apparating them both in the condition Lucius was in.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Lucius panted. He raised his hand weakly to brush the sweat trickling down his face away but dropped it back down with a hiss of pain.

"I have a Portkey back to Malfoy Manor."

"Ah," Lucius replied in a noncommittal fashion.

"Don't worry, Narcissa has taken to staying with Bella so you don't have to worry about her," Severus replied with a smirk.

Lucius sighed in relief and let Severus help him to the entrance hall of the prison. He looked around and noticed the lack of guards. Or bodies. "What happened? How did you get in?"

"Our Lord has learnt some new tricks," Severus said. He gently moved Lucius's arm off his shoulder and leant him against the wall. "The very shadows themselves made quick work of the guards here."

"The shadows?"

"I'll show you it in a Pensieve later," Severus replied as he took out a small gold key. "Here, it'll activate in one minute."

"You're not coming?" Lucius asked with a small frown as he took the key in his right hand. As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted to talk to someone, _anyone_, and Severus was a good friend.

"I have to get back to Hogwarts," Severus replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'll come by and check on you during the weekend," he added in a more sympathetic tone.

"Oh," Lucius replied. He straightened and gave him a nod; looking more like the Lucius Malfoy that everyone was familiar with. "Very well, I shall see you later then." And in a blink, he was gone.

Severus looked at the place his friend had stood for a moment before frowning and Apparating. As soon as the world stilled, he tensed, his dark eyes darting around cautiously as he listened carefully to the muted sounds of the Forbidden Forest.

"Severus."

A hand came from behind him and gripped his elbow gently. Severus let out a small sigh and looked balefully over his shoulder. "I told you not to wait for me."

A low chuckle was his answer and he felt another hand moving to pull him closer. "I worry, you know that. You were called rather late this time."

"He does as he wishes," Severus muttered. "Now let me go, I have to report back to Albus."

Remus sighed and allowed Severus to push his way out of his arms. "Let's be off, then."

They made their way quickly to the Headmaster's office.

Remus smiled at the disgusted expression on Severus's face when he muttered out the password and followed him up the stairs.

"Ah, back already?" Albus asked gently.

"Yes, but we've got a problem."

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(1) Literally: Violent skin torment

That took a while! I've been wrestling with it for a while... I wasn't happy with how it turned out so I had to start over a few times. But, it's finished now so it's all good! LOL I hope you all enjoyed it!

As always, a big hearty 'thank you' to my beta, **lucidity**, cuz she's so cool and always helps me! LOL I really appreciate her feedback and support.

Now, to my faithful reviewers! Thanks a lot to:

**thrnbrooke**

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I always appreciate your feedbacks.

I hope you enjoyed it! The next chapter should be done by next month! Remember, if you want me to send you an e-mail when I update, give me your e-mail address and I'll be happy to.

Take care, savvy?

CDW


	18. A jump from here to there

**Title:** Flip Side

**Author:** CuriousDreamWeaver

**Summary:** Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are one of a kind. Maybe. Alternate worlds are meant to stay separate but not everything turns out the way they're supposed to. How much trouble can two Draco Malfoys and two Harry Potters get into? Especially when someone decides to up the ante and make things a whole lot worse for them all. Slash, het. HP/DM, HP/DM, RW/HG and more.

**Warnings:** There will be slash, mostly from the HP/DM department, um, violence in later chapters, and maybe a few lime scenes (very mild though). This fic is not HBP compliant.

**Pairings:** HP/DM, RW/HG, JP/LE, LM/NM, SB/RL/SS

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. J. K. Rowling does and she's more the richer for it. Or Tenchi Muyo for that matter.

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**Flip Side**

Chapter Seventeen: A jump from here to there. 

**AUHPverse**

There were only a handful of people Lucius was afraid of. Unfortunately, half of them happened to be in the same room as him.

He grit his teeth and steadfastly ignored the mocking snickers from James and Sirius. His agile mind began to list the different ways he could hurt them without anything permanent being done. Well, not too permanent. Okay, without them _dying_.

"What do you mean _she's disappeared_?"

Lucius was jolted out of his pleasant daydream by a piercing cry and tried to cower, without it looking like he was, behind his wife as his mother-in-law rounded on him, her brilliant blue eyes blazing. She was second on his list of people to fear. His wife was the first, but that didn't matter, considering she wasn't angry with _him_. Well, not at the moment. "She came into contact with a World Turner and-"

"Don't be stupid, there's no such thing as a World Turner," Hypatia, First Princess(1) of the House of Lumina(2), snapped. Her long blonde hair hung in soft curls around her mature face, her eyes narrowed angrily.

Lucius cast his father-in-law a pleading look, but the older man just shrugged. "I can't help you, she's gone off on a tangent of her own," Markus said apologetically, his honey blond hair brushing his shoulders as he shrugged, though he hoped his comment would divert his wife's attention from Lucius. He was rather fond of his son-in-law. He had excellent liquor and was a funny drunk.

Hypatia sputtered and smacked him upside the head. "What was that? How can you say something like that about your wife?"

"Mother, please, you're not making this easy," Narcissa said, trying to calm her mother down, shooting her father a look that was a mixture of exasperation and thankfulness. "And you, Father, are not making this easier."

"If it was a World Turner, how did it get past the wards?" Bellatrix asked lazily, smoothing back her long black hair as she crossed her legs.

Lucius scowled. He didn't like his sister-in-law much, but he had to admit, she was very astute. "We haven't been able to find that out yet."

"What _have_ you done, then?" Hypatia asked angrily.

"Mother, calm yourself," Andromeda said softly. She gave Lucius a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure that Lucius has tried everything in his power."

"Lucius is working very hard, mother," Narcissa said quickly. She grabbed her husband's hand and squeezed it tightly. "It has not been easy on any of us, so please don't blame him."

Hypatia finally took a good look at her daughter's husband and noticed that Lucius did indeed look terrible. His normally shiny silvery hair was dull and lank, pulled back in a messy ponytail; his exotic eyes were tired and had dark circles beneath them. His posture too, was something of a worry. His shoulders were hunched with worry and stress and his clothes hung untidily off his lean frame.

Her eyes softened immediately. "I'm sorry, Lucius."

"It's all right, I understand." He gave her a strained smile.

"Now we've calmed down a bit," Albus said cheerfully as he clapped his hands together, "would anyone like a lemon drop?"

Hypatia gave Albus an indulgent smile, while Bellatrix looked at him as though he was deranged. She even said so, but was hushed by a reprimanding look from Andromeda.

"You haven't changed one bit, Albus," a rich husky voice purred from the doorway as a tall, willowy brunette walked into the room, Severus following after her. The woman wasn't beautiful like Hypatia and her daughters were, rather, she was more handsome with an air of proud dignity.

"Lucinda!" Hypatia cried, as she immediately moved towards the other woman.

"Hypatia, it has been too long," Lucinda said ,as she returned her warm hug. "It's a shame it had to be under such circumstances."

"It can't be helped," Hypatia replied. "Do you have any new information?"

The expression of every other person in the room lit up with hope.

Lucinda shook her head regretfully. "Unfortunately, there hasn't been any word of anything like this floating around the other Clans, not to mention the underground. Lucian is trying to find information from his contacts so he won't be here for a while."

"Then where could he possibly have found a World turner?" Lucius asked, frustration making his voice harsh. "They cannot just randomly pop out of nowhere! _Someone_ must know _something_ about it."

"If they do, they're keeping quiet," Severus said tiredly. Like his brother, his appearance screamed of weariness. He sat down heavily in a chair that Sirius pulled out for him.

"And the werewolves haven't heard anything either," Remus added. "Maybe Macnair actually made it himself..." he trailed off and shrugged.

"That would require a lot of power. Power he doesn't have," Severus redplied.

"I know, but how else can you explain it? If something that powerful was on the market, someone would know about it," Sirius pointed out after Severus's disagreement.

There was an uncomfortable silence. Sirius did have a point. For once.

"No, no. Severus is right. Macnair does not have the kind of power needed to make a World Turner. If he made one, he'd have to find a magical hotspot, and there are very, very few of those in the world. Not to mention he'd need the help of several other wizards or witches in order to bind all that power to one specific object," Lucius replied.

"But that still-"

"Unless he used them as conduits for all that magical energy and then sucked every ounce of magic out of them and bound _that_ magic to the object as well," Lily said thoughtfully.

Lucinda grimaced. "That would work."

"We would have noticed a whole lot of powerful wizards disappearing," Remus pointed out. "And there haven't been any missing persons reported that would fit in that description."

Severus rubbed his hand over his eyes as something occurred to him. "Not everyone who goes missing is reported."

Remus frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Remus," Severus replied. "There are people that aren't noticed and if they disappeared..." he trailed off and gave Remus a meaningful look.

"You mean... like orphans or homeless people? Criminals?"

"Exactly."

"Even if he did do that, he'd still have to have found a magical hotspot," James said with a frown.

Albus frowned thoughtfully, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hands. "Not necessarily."

Narcissa looked at him in surprise. "Not necessarily?"

"Albus is right, you don't have to have a magical hotspot," Hypatia said slowly. "The only reason magical hotspots are easy to cast magic and create magical artefacts in is because of the sheer amount of pure magical energy that's infused itself into the area. But if you found a... patron from outside the boundaries of this world, you can access the same sort of power."

"Patron?" Narcissa ventured warily. "What do you mean by patron?"

"A patron is a term used to describe an entity that is caught In Between," Lucinda murmured in explanation. "It's very rare for someone, human or otherwise, to even attract the attention of a patron." Her brows furrowed thoughtfully. "And for them to consent to their power to be used in such a fashion is very unusual."

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Hermione sighed and pressed her face tiredly into her hands. Her short brown hair bobbed around her face and she pushed it back impatiently. "There has to be something here. Maybe we're just not looking hard enough."

Pansy bit her lip and looked down at the book in front of her, her shoulders slumping. "But we've looked over all these books twice. Some of them three times. We haven't gotten anywhere." Her lower lip began to tremble.

"Please don't cry," Ron begged tiredly. He hated seeing girls cry and was incredibly useless when it happened, compounded by the fact he was dead tired, he didn't think he could take it.

"Pansy, it'll be all right," Blaise said firmly. He gave his girlfriend a look over the rim of his thin wire glasses. "We'll find a way to bring them back, don't worry. And I'm sure they're doing fine, wherever they are."

"But... But what if Dee isn't eating right? She's so delicate!" Pansy almost wailed.

Ron's expression of weariness melted into horror as she started to sniffle. _Merlin, no. Not Pansy crying. Please, have mercy._

"I'm sure J.P.(3) wouldn't let Dee eat badly. Knowing him, he'd probably be trying to feed her enough to bloat a horse," Blaise replied calmly. The best way to treat one of Pansy's crying attacks was to act as though she wasn't having one. Sympathy would only encourage her.

"You-you think so? J.P. would never let anything happen to her! You're right!" Pansy immediately brightened.

Hermione let loose the breath she'd been holding and jabbed Ron with her elbow. "Stop looking like that, you'll make her cry again."

Ron straightened and nodded his head vigorously. "Yeah, I'll bet that they're doing just great. Knowing Dee, she's probably found a library or something to spend her time in and J.P.'s probably playing some sort of sport or something."

"Dee's probably looking for a way to come home, don't you worry. And you know how she is. She'll keep looking until she finds what she wants," Hermione said with an encouraging smile.

"Yeah, Dee can look after herself," Ron said. "And if she can't, J.P.'s there to fuss over her like a mother hen." He chuckled at the mental image of J.P. in a frilly apron fussing over an exasperated looking Dee.

"There a few more books in the restricted section," Blaise mused as he skimmed a page thoughtfully. "There might be some more information in them."

"You can come and check the library at Snape and Malfoy Manor, if you wish."

They all turned to the large doors of the library and jumped to their feet when they saw the group of adults. Markus, Bellatrix and Andromeda were absent, having left to return to the Palace in hopes that new information could be found in their libraries.

"We can?" Hermione asked Lucinda hopefully. The Malfoy Manor was the ancestral home of the Malfoy family and the library it contained was legendary. The Snape Manor, similarly, was the home of countless generations of Snapes, and the number of books pertaining to obscure spells and artefacts was staggering.

"Yes, we need more people to go through the books and scrolls there," Lucinda replied.

Narcissa nodded. "We'd appreciate it if you could help us."

"You don't need to ask us to help you," Blaise replied shaking his head. The others nodded in agreement.

"That's good. You're all such good friends!" Narcissa said with a tired smile.

"We want our friend back," Hermione said firmly as the others nodded their heads in agreement. "We'll do what we need to do." She frowned slightly and looked at the adults. "If you don't mind my saying so, but you should all rest. You look very poorly."

"They wouldn't have wanted you to work yourselves sick," Pansy added.

The boys nodded in agreement. "You should rest some. Otherwise, they'll kill us when they get back," Ron replied.

"Thank you for your concern," Lily murmured with a smile.

"The Headmaster has given us permission to take you to Snape and Malfoy Manor. Do you think you'll be ready to leave in a few hours?" Lucinda asked.

Pansy shook her head and looked determined. "We can be ready earlier than that!"

The adults watched the teenagers practically run from the room in their haste to prepare, and they let small smiles tug at their lips.

"Dee and J.P. are fortunate to have such caring friends," Lily said fondly.

The silence that settled over them was slightly lighter than before, but still heavy with anxiety.

"Do you really think that there's something in the library?" Narcissa asked hopefully. She'd never looked through the Malfoy and Snape libraries. It had been more of Dee's interest that had brought them to visit them, but Narcissa had always found a way to stay out of them. She wished she had taken the time to look.

Lucius rubbed a hand through his hair. "It's bound to have something useful. Father always had the most informative books, and Mother Lucinda's library is just as useful."

"We need young eyes. They may find something that we have missed or deemed unimportant." Lucinda replied. "And with Hermione and Blaise, there's a good chance that they may find something we can work from."

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

HPVerse 

Lucius tipped back a generously filled crystal glass of golden liquid and hissed as it burned down his throat. He let his head loll back against the plush back of the high-backed chair he sat in and couldn't help but revel in the soft, warm, _safe_ feeling that enveloped him. His silvery eyes slid shut and he allowed himself to relax.

He'd been home, yes, Malfoy Manor was his _home_, for a little over a day and the feeling of peace it had always brought him had hit him like a ton of bricks. In fact, he had spent the night curled up at the base of the large pillars that rose from the floor near the door. He never wanted to leave again.

Of course, the enormity of his situation had come back and he proceeded to try and drink himself into oblivion. It wasn't working very well.

"You're not going to make yourself feel better drinking all that."

Lucius ignored the smooth, silken voice that came from in front of him. He defiantly raised the glass and was about to take another drink when it was plucked out of his fingers.

"I was drinking that!" Lucius muttered as he glared balefully up at his dark-haired visitor.

"No, you were about to spill it in your face," Severus said with a smirk. He gently set the glass onto the small round table next to Lucius's chair. He shook his head as Lucius continued to glare at him.

"You of all people should know that your tolerance for alcohol is a lot higher than a normal person. And even in your state, you're still more tolerant than the average person."

"Would you kindly leave me alone? You're ruining the effect here."

Severus snorted and wrinkled his nose. "You aren't even drinking the good stuff. This is poor quality, nothing more than backyard moonshine."

Lucius was not willing to admit that he was too weak to open the large, spelled cabinet that held the finest liquors he owned. That and he had no wand. "Leave me alone," he said as he sulked.

"No, come on, get up, I have that balm for your face, you vain bastard." Severus tugged him to his feet and grunted when Lucius, out of spite, leant his entire weight on him. "You're being a spoiled child."

"I was a spoilt child, if I remember correctly," Lucius muttered back.

"No, you were just too stupid to shut up. Your parents bribed you to keep quiet," Severus drawled back lazily and ignored the outraged sputtering in his ear.

"That's just rude!"

"It was meant to be. Now stop _leaning_ on me. You're heavy."

"Why are you here? Aren't you meant to be teaching the future of the Wizarding World?" Lucius asked petulantly, but stopped leaning on his friend.

"I came to give you some potions for your wounds, you ungrateful fool," Severus muttered. He carefully manoeuvred them down the hallway and to Lucius's quarters. He nudged the door open and sighed when he noticed Lucius panting from exertion.

Lucius flopped tiredly onto his bed. "Merlin, I'm so damn tired already."

Severus shook his head and pulled small jar and vial from inside his thick cloak and set them down on the bedside table. "What do you expect? You barely moved in that cell of yours, not to mention that you're malnourished and you've drank a fair amount of low quality alcohol. I'm surprised you're still conscious." He prodded Lucius's prone form mercilessly until the blond rolled over with a groan.

"Stop poking at me!"

"If you'd rather me leave _with my potions_, then I'll gladly stop poking at you."

Lucius fell into a grudging silence and allowed Severus to pull off his shirt, hissing softly when his left wrist got caught in the sleeve.

Severus murmured an apology and picked up the small jar. He scooped some of the balm into the palm of his hand and smoothed it over Lucius's ribs.

"That cold!"

"Don't be such a child," Severus snorted.

Lucius subsided, grumbling but appreciating the warm, soothing sensation that radiated over his torso. He sighed and slowly relaxed. "Thanks."

Severus nodded and nudged him. "Roll onto your side."

"Why can't I just drink something? It hurts to move." Lucius winced as Severus spread more of the balm on the dark purple bruise at the base of his shoulder blade. It must have happened when he'd thrown himself onto his back the other night in a vain attempt to block out the pain.

"I'll give it to you in a minute, stop whining." Severus worked quickly but as gently as he could. "Don't worry, it'll stop hurting soon. You'll be as healthy as you were before Azkaban."

Lucius made a soft sound of agreement and fell silent. Severus wondered what was going through his friend's mind as he finished spreading the healing balm. Severus cleaned off his hands and handed Lucius the vial. "Here, you can drink this. It should help with the chest pain and help you get some of your strength and stamina back."

Lucius was quiet for a moment before turning slowly and looking up at him with a troubled expression. "Severus, what have I missed while I was away?"

The dark-haired man regarded him for a moment as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Life has become more interesting."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Severus wondered if he should tell his friend about the two new students at Hogwarts and the disturbing developments between Draco and a certain raven-haired boy. He vaguely entertained the idea of sending Lucius into an apoplexy, but rationalised that it would be more troublesome to treat him. He settled on a compromise. "Draco has made a new friend that he seems to be very close to."

Lucius perked up at the mention of his son. "A new friend? What's his name?"

"_Her_ name is Dee. She's incredibly intelligent and Draco seems to be very fond of her."

"A pureblood?"

"As pure as Draco's."

Lucius nodded, pleased. "That's good to hear. What are her connections?"

"She's not from around here, though she has relatives in France," Severus replied, making assumptions about Dee's family being close to Lucius's.

"What is her family name? Surely I would have heard of them."

Severus changed the subject as though he hadn't heard him. "Your son has developed an interest in someone."

It was very effective, Lucius latching onto the new subject eagerly. "Draco? And who has caught my son's interest?"

"I'm not entirely certain," Severus hedged. Well, Severus was sure he wished he didn't know.

"Then how do you know he's interested in someone?"

"He's acting like you did when you were infatuated with someone." Severus paused and added as an afterthought, "Except he's more discrete."

Lucius scowled. "I was discrete."

"Compared to what?" Severus snorted. "You made everyone know who was the subject of your affections. Of course, considering how popular you were, I suppose that it was a good thing for the girls you decided to love for any particular brief period of time."

Lucius scowled. "You make it sound so cheap. You're just jealous that you never had so much attention."

"Please, even if I did prefer the fairer sex, I wouldn't want to be saddled with a brainless twit as a partner as you seemed to enjoy."

"They weren't brainless. They were..." Lucius paused, unable to think of a suitable adjective. "They were beautiful," he finally finished.

"They were indeed, but they were as beautiful as their heads were empty."

"All right, so they weren't the best of conversationalists, but they were a lot more pleasant to be around than Narcissa."

"Almost _anyone_ is better company than Narcissa," Severus snorted.

"True. But still, they weren't that bad."

"Whatever makes you happy, Lucius." Severus replied.

"But we digress. How is my son?"

"He is doing well, all things considered. His grades are as impressive as ever."

Lucius smiled in pride. "He's always been bright."

"Unlike his father."

"I resent that."

"That was the point."

"How is everyone treating Draco?"

Severus shifted slightly. He wondered if Lucius would be suspicious if he cut the conversation right there. "They're treating him well enough, not much differently from before."

"No one is giving him a hard time?"

"No, his friends keep them away rather effectively."

Lucius sighed. "He wrote to me, did you know that?"

Severus nodded. "Of course he did. The boy adores you, Lucius."

"I could never find the right words to tell him what that meant to me." Lucius grimaced. "I always told him to uphold the family honour, or something similar."

Severus stayed silent. He knew that while Draco was relieved to know his father was still coherent enough to reply, the words had always seemed so cold and he'd seen the light dim a little in the boy's eyes. "He understands that there are obligations he is expected to fulfil," Severus replied carefully.

"I could have at least shown that I appreciated his concern," Lucius said, his voice sharp with self-loathing.

"I'm sure he knew, on some level," Severus said in an effort to make his friend feel slightly better, though his words sounded hollow, even to him.

Lucius gave a bitter chuckle and rubbed a hand over his eyes tiredly. "Draco is about as emotionally maladjusted as I am. There's no reason for him to believe that I appreciated his concern, he'd find it hard to believe even if I said to his face. I brought him up the same way my sire did me."

Severus shifted uncomfortably. He'd never been very comfortable around Lucian Malfoy. The man was incredibly cold, bordering on cruel. While Lucian had provided Lucius with anything and everything he had desired on a materialistic level in a manner fitting the Malfoy name, he had neglected Lucius on an emotional level. It was no wonder that Lucius had no idea how to respond to the way Draco idolised him other than to treat it as his due as his father had before him. This led to several problems, one of which was Draco's lack of emotional support and stability. Narcissa's cold treatment of Draco hadn't helped matters, and Severus was fairly certain that Draco's fear of rejection stemmed from those combined factors. It was no wonder Draco was still dancing around his feelings for Potter. He just hoped that Dee would be able to help him, even if only a little, before it was too late.

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(1)Hypatia is not the Queen of the Veela. Her father is still alive and is the ruler. She is the first born and heir to the throne, thus First Princess. Actually, to be honest, I nicked that from Tenchi Muyo. LOL ;;

(2) Lumina is the Romanian word for light. At least, that's what the dictionary told me... LOL

(3) Yeah, I'm still referring to their scarless Harry as J.P. Easier that way. LOL

Thanks so much for waiting patiently for this chapter. I had my major assignments, my finals and some work problems in the past few months, so I couldn't get it out as quickly as I would have liked. I'm really sorry, but here's the new chapter!

A wonderful thankyou to my beta, **lucidity**.

Thanks to all my reviewers from the last chapter:

Crystal 

**KniGhtInwAitiNg**

**Guess **

**Heart and Soul**

**PaDfOoT Da GrEaT**

**Dulce Psycho**

**tarzoniangirl**

**MidNite Phoenix**

**veela princess**

**EriksLuv**

**lady shadowsinger**

**Mara202**

**Myr**

**thrnbrooke**

**iNsAnE nO bAkA**

**Netty**

**Pippinspen**

**Purple Raveness**

**lucidity**

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday season with many blessings!

Take care, savvy?

CDW


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